SOME Ulster Bank staff may go on strike in the new year over a dispute about pension costs.
Members of the Financial Services Union (FSU) have rejected a proposal from the bank's parent company RBS which they said would pass additional costs onto employees.
The union claimed the plans would cost staff in Northern Ireland £1 million annually.
It said RBS wants to pass on a 2 per cent pension charge to staff following changes to UK National Insurance, with the cuts phased in over the next two years.
The proposal affects staff who are part of the bank's defined benefit pension scheme.
FSU senior official Gareth Murphy said the changes regarded "an employer cost which should not be passed on to staff. It’s as simple as that".
"In the interests of securing an agreement, however, FSU members voted to accept a recommendation from an independent mediator to share the costs 50:50 with the employer. We are appalled that Ulster Bank rejected this compromise," he said.
“There is one last chance to resolve this issue during our current difficult pay negotiations with the bank. We have reflected the pension charge in our pay claim and we ask Ulster Bank to view this fairly and as an opportunity to avoid potential industrial action in the new year.”
FSU general secretary Larry Broderick said he hoped the matter could be resolved through a pay settlement.
“Our members have clearly spoken through a ballot, and Ulster Bank and RBS should listen. We have a chance to resolve this dispute and a mature employer should take this opportunity," he said.
“Staff are key to the bank’s recovery and right now morale is at an all-time low, as evidenced by a recent staff survey which scored Ulster Bank very poorly. Senior management needs to show leadership and resolve this issue.”
An Ulster Bank spokesman said: “Changes to state pensions in the UK mean that the costs of our own scheme have risen. After consulting with staff and employee representatives, the bank will increase the cost on a phased basis of being a member of the scheme.”
