Financial Services Union to take KBC to the Workplace Relations Commission.

The Financial Services Union has informed KBC Ireland that due to KBC’s refusal to discuss several serious industrial relations matters with the Union it has been left with no alternative but to refer several outstanding issues to conciliation at the WRC. 

Among the matters that the Union feel require attention are:

• Ensure TUPE rights are protected and applied.
• Ensure redundancy terms are applicable to all at risk, including from previous Hub closures.
• Ensure long term solution to protect the KBC DB scheme(s) via a transfer of employer responsibilities, at the right time, to KBC Group.
• Make the retention payment structure transparent and applicable to all staff not just those selected secretly by the Company.
• Make all fixed-term contractors permanent for the withdrawal process.

Gareth Murphy, Head of Industrial Relations and Campaigns with FSU commented:

“KBC continuing refusal to discuss, through normal industrial channels, matters that effect their employers is shocking and a deplorable way to treat their staff.

Our members expect that their employer will deal with their representatives in a professional manner similar to what happens in other retail Banks. 

Unfortunately, KBC, who recognise unions in Belgium and who are signatories to the UN Global Compact which has at its core the right of an employee to be represented by a Union, has decided to take a different approach to industrial relations matters in Ireland than it does in other Countries. 

The FSU had no alternative but to refer the matter to the WRC. 

KBC have a track record of not turning up at the WRC. Hopefully this time they will put their employees first and try a reach a resolution to all the outstanding issues through reconciliation at the WRC.” 

ENDS