Banking Sector

Conscious of the serious implications for bank workers in the Irish Banking sector arising from the Government's announcement on the future structure of the Irish banking sector; this Conference calls on the Executive Council to seek to conclude an agreement with Government, the employers, the regulatory authorities, the National Treasury Management Agency in the Republic and any other relevant bodies with the following objectives: To secure the greatest number of jobs and in response to the need to reduce employee numbers to be done by voluntary means. To protect the terms and conditions of employment of staff remaining in the industry. To ensure that the contribution of staff to the resolution of the banking crisis is recognised appropriately so that employees are not scapegoated in the pursuit of a simplistic cost- cutting agenda. To demand that the culture of banking is subject to radical change so as to restore the traditional values of prudence, integrity and stability which prioritise service to customers. To ensure that the future governance arrangements within the sector reinforce this new culture by requiring a far greater diversity on the Boards of these institutions (including the participation of employee representatives) and by providing effective statutory protection for whistleblowers To ensure that those responsible for the gross mismanagement of financial institutions are held to account. To secure the creation of a Forum on Banking - which will bring together all the major stake- holders in the financial services sector (including foreign-owned institutions operating in Ireland as well as domestically owned institutions) with a view to securing an agreed vision for the future development of the sector.