About the Financial Services Union
Representing Workers. Influencing Change. Building the Future.
The Financial Services Union (FSU) is the leading trade union representing workers across the financial services, fintech and technology sectors in Ireland.
For more than 100 years, we have worked to improve pay, protect workplace rights and ensure workers have a strong and effective voice at work. Today, we represent employees across retail banking, private banking, insurance, financial services, fintech and technology, supporting members through every stage of their careers.
The world of work has changed dramatically since our foundation in 1918, but our purpose remains the same: to protect workers, improve working lives and ensure employees have a meaningful say in decisions that affect them.
A Union That Delivers for Members
The FSU exists to give workers the collective strength needed to secure fair treatment, decent working conditions and a voice in the workplace.
Every day, we work with members and employers to negotiate better pay and conditions, protect employment rights and support workers through workplace challenges. We provide representation, advice and support when members need it most, while also working to secure long-term improvements that benefit entire workplaces and sectors.
Our members are at the centre of everything we do. Whether dealing with individual workplace issues, negotiating collective agreements or influencing national policy, our focus is always on achieving the best possible outcomes for workers.
Evolving With a Changing Industry
The industries we represent have undergone enormous change over the past century.
From the introduction of new technologies and changing customer expectations to major economic shocks and workplace transformation, the financial services sector has continually evolved. The FSU has evolved alongside it, ensuring workers are protected, supported and represented throughout periods of change.
Today, the pace of change is accelerating. Artificial intelligence, digital transformation, changing business models and evolving workplace expectations are reshaping the future of work across financial services, fintech and technology.
The FSU works proactively to ensure that workers are not simply informed about change but have a meaningful role in shaping it.
We represent members on issues including:
- Artificial intelligence and workplace technology
- Hybrid and flexible working arrangements
- Return-to-office policies
- Restructuring and organisational change
- Redundancy programmes
- Outsourcing and offshoring
- Bank branch closures
- Skills development and workforce planning
- Equality, diversity and inclusion
- Pay, pensions and terms and conditions of employment
By engaging with employers at an early stage, the FSU seeks to ensure that change is managed fairly, transparently and in a way that respects workers and their contributions.
Influencing Decisions That Affect Workers
The FSU believes that workers deserve a seat at the table when important decisions are being made.
That is why we actively engage with employers, regulators, government departments, elected representatives and industry bodies on issues that affect our members and the wider financial services sector.
The union is recognised as a respected and credible voice on workplace issues and the future of the industry. Our representatives contribute to policy discussions, participate in consultations and advocate for solutions that support both workers and sustainable economic development.
The FSU is not standing outside the room while decisions are made. We work to ensure that the experiences and concerns of workers are heard wherever important discussions about employment, regulation, technology and the future of the sector take place.
Through research, collective bargaining, workplace organising and public advocacy, we seek to influence change rather than simply react to it.
More Than a Century of Representation
The FSU's story began in 1918 with the formation of the Irish Bank Officials' Association (IBOA).
At a time when bank employees had little collective representation, workers came together to improve pay, pensions, career opportunities and working conditions. The organisation was founded on the principle that workers achieve more when they act collectively than when they act alone.
Over the decades that followed, the union played a central role in securing improvements in pay, working hours, annual leave, pensions and employment rights for bank workers across Ireland.
As society and the workplace changed, the union adapted. It supported advances in equality, responded to technological developments and helped members navigate major changes within the banking and financial services industries.
The organisation's history reflects a long tradition of collective action, workplace representation and practical support for members through periods of both opportunity and challenge.
Supporting Members Through Times of Change
One of the most significant challenges faced by the union and its members came during the financial and banking crisis that began in 2008.
The crisis transformed the sector, leading to restructuring, uncertainty and significant pressure on workers throughout the industry.
During this period, the union worked tirelessly to protect jobs, defend terms and conditions, support members through organisational change and ensure workers had a voice during a period of unprecedented upheaval.
The experience demonstrated the importance of collective representation and reinforced the vital role trade unions play in protecting workers during times of uncertainty.
The lessons learned during that period continue to inform the union's approach today as new challenges emerge across the sector.
A Modern and Progressive Union
As the industries we represent evolved, so too did the union.
The transition from the Irish Bank Officials' Association to the Financial Services Union reflected a broader mission and a wider membership base. Today, the FSU represents workers across a diverse range of organisations operating in financial services, fintech and technology.
We are a professional, dynamic and progressive union committed to meeting the needs of a modern workforce.
Our growth in recent years reflects the continued relevance of collective representation and the value workers place on having a strong, independent voice at work.
While the workplace continues to change, the principles that have guided the union for more than a century remain constant: fairness, equality, solidarity and respect.
Looking Forward
The future of work will bring both opportunities and challenges.
New technologies, changing skills requirements, evolving business models and shifting expectations about work will continue to transform the industries in which our members work.
The FSU is committed to ensuring that workers are not passive observers of these changes but active participants in shaping them.
By representing members, influencing policy, negotiating with employers and advocating for fair workplaces, we will continue to build on more than a century of achievement.
Our history demonstrates what can be achieved when workers come together. Our focus now is on ensuring that future generations of workers continue to benefit from that collective strength.
Because when workers have a voice, everyone benefits.
About the Financial Services Union
Representing Workers. Influencing Change. Building the Future.
The Financial Services Union (FSU) is the leading trade union representing workers across the financial services, fintech and technology sectors in Ireland.
For more than 100 years, we have worked to improve pay, protect workplace rights and ensure workers have a strong and effective voice at work. Today, we represent employees across retail banking, private banking, insurance, financial services, fintech and technology, supporting members through every stage of their careers.
The world of work has changed dramatically since our foundation in 1918, but our purpose remains the same: to protect workers, improve working lives and ensure employees have a meaningful say in decisions that affect them.
A Union That Delivers for Members
The FSU exists to give workers the collective strength needed to secure fair treatment, decent working conditions and a voice in the workplace.
Every day, we work with members and employers to negotiate better pay and conditions, protect employment rights and support workers through workplace challenges. We provide representation, advice and support when members need it most, while also working to secure long-term improvements that benefit entire workplaces and sectors.
Our members are at the centre of everything we do. Whether dealing with individual workplace issues, negotiating collective agreements or influencing national policy, our focus is always on achieving the best possible outcomes for workers.
Evolving With a Changing Industry
The industries we represent have undergone enormous change over the past century.
From the introduction of new technologies and changing customer expectations to major economic shocks and workplace transformation, the financial services sector has continually evolved. The FSU has evolved alongside it, ensuring workers are protected, supported and represented throughout periods of change.
Today, the pace of change is accelerating. Artificial intelligence, digital transformation, changing business models and evolving workplace expectations are reshaping the future of work across financial services, fintech and technology.
The FSU works proactively to ensure that workers are not simply informed about change but have a meaningful role in shaping it.
We represent members on issues including:
- Artificial intelligence and workplace technology
- Hybrid and flexible working arrangements
- Return-to-office policies
- Restructuring and organisational change
- Redundancy programmes
- Outsourcing and offshoring
- Bank branch closures
- Skills development and workforce planning
- Equality, diversity and inclusion
- Pay, pensions and terms and conditions of employment
By engaging with employers at an early stage, the FSU seeks to ensure that change is managed fairly, transparently and in a way that respects workers and their contributions.
Influencing Decisions That Affect Workers
The FSU believes that workers deserve a seat at the table when important decisions are being made.
That is why we actively engage with employers, regulators, government departments, elected representatives and industry bodies on issues that affect our members and the wider financial services sector.
The union is recognised as a respected and credible voice on workplace issues and the future of the industry. Our representatives contribute to policy discussions, participate in consultations and advocate for solutions that support both workers and sustainable economic development.
The FSU is not standing outside the room while decisions are made. We work to ensure that the experiences and concerns of workers are heard wherever important discussions about employment, regulation, technology and the future of the sector take place.
Through research, collective bargaining, workplace organising and public advocacy, we seek to influence change rather than simply react to it.
More Than a Century of Representation
The FSU's story began in 1918 with the formation of the Irish Bank Officials' Association (IBOA).
At a time when bank employees had little collective representation, workers came together to improve pay, pensions, career opportunities and working conditions. The organisation was founded on the principle that workers achieve more when they act collectively than when they act alone.
Over the decades that followed, the union played a central role in securing improvements in pay, working hours, annual leave, pensions and employment rights for bank workers across Ireland.
As society and the workplace changed, the union adapted. It supported advances in equality, responded to technological developments and helped members navigate major changes within the banking and financial services industries.
The organisation's history reflects a long tradition of collective action, workplace representation and practical support for members through periods of both opportunity and challenge.
Supporting Members Through Times of Change
One of the most significant challenges faced by the union and its members came during the financial and banking crisis that began in 2008.
The crisis transformed the sector, leading to restructuring, uncertainty and significant pressure on workers throughout the industry.
During this period, the union worked tirelessly to protect jobs, defend terms and conditions, support members through organisational change and ensure workers had a voice during a period of unprecedented upheaval.
The experience demonstrated the importance of collective representation and reinforced the vital role trade unions play in protecting workers during times of uncertainty.
The lessons learned during that period continue to inform the union's approach today as new challenges emerge across the sector.
A Modern and Progressive Union
As the industries we represent evolved, so too did the union.
The transition from the Irish Bank Officials' Association to the Financial Services Union reflected a broader mission and a wider membership base. Today, the FSU represents workers across a diverse range of organisations operating in financial services, fintech and technology.
We are a professional, dynamic and progressive union committed to meeting the needs of a modern workforce.
Our growth in recent years reflects the continued relevance of collective representation and the value workers place on having a strong, independent voice at work.
While the workplace continues to change, the principles that have guided the union for more than a century remain constant: fairness, equality, solidarity and respect.
Looking Forward
The future of work will bring both opportunities and challenges.
New technologies, changing skills requirements, evolving business models and shifting expectations about work will continue to transform the industries in which our members work.
The FSU is committed to ensuring that workers are not passive observers of these changes but active participants in shaping them.
By representing members, influencing policy, negotiating with employers and advocating for fair workplaces, we will continue to build on more than a century of achievement.
Our history demonstrates what can be achieved when workers come together. Our focus now is on ensuring that future generations of workers continue to benefit from that collective strength.
Because when workers have a voice, everyone benefits.