West Tyrone Sinn Fein Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Local bank worker jobs must be protected-Doherty

Published: 5 July, 2010

Sinn Féin West Tyrone MP MLA Pat Doherty says that ordinary bank workers should not have to pay the price for the reckless actions of banking institution bosses.

He said,

"While there is justifiable public anger has been directed towards the banking system no one should confuse the leaders of such banks with the staff who work in them to secure their homes and families like so many other workers.

"At Bank of Ireland, up to 1,000 lay-offs are expected to be announced over the next two weeks. There is much trepidation among local BoI staff about what the fall out from this will be.

"Furthermore, reports over the weekend that AIB could be laying off as many as 3,000 people on top of the 3,000 lay offs that it has already made will increase the already deep worry being expressed by the 1,500 staff at AIB's six county subsidiary 'First Trust' that severe redundancies could result if its sale, which was announced in April, is allowed to proceed.

"Staff at local First Trust branches in West Tyrone have outlined their concern to me that forcing a sale of First Trust Bank at a time when international financial markets are in the doldrums will almost inevitably result in a fire sale - which would be an open invitation to an asset stripper with little or no commitment to First Trust's branch network, to its current levels of employment or to the wider economy of Ireland north or south.

"Sinn Féin has met with First Trust union reps and the issue has been on the agenda of our party's DETI and DFP Assembly committees. We have raised this issue both in written and oral questions in the Assembly. The union has given evidence to both the DETI and DFP committees and both committees have written to Sammy Wilson, Brian Lenihan, and AIB shareholders expressing concern about the proposed sell off of First Trust.

"Over 2,500 workers are employed by AIB and First Trust in the six counties and concerns about job security for these workers were also at the top of the agenda in discussions First Ministers Martin Mc Guinness and Peter Robinson held with An Taoiseach Brian Mc Cowan today." ENDS