Protecting the financial sector

The FSU welcomes the initiative of the Minister for Finance in NI, Conor Murphy to hold a roundtable discussion in 2022 involving relevant stakeholders in the financial sector.

We further welcome statements from the regulator, politicians and societal groups requesting a pause in branch closures.

We condemn all retail banks who have closed branches and removed ATMs from communities across Northern Ireland without adequately planning to protect consumers and business.

We call for support from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions for our campaign for

• A moratorium on any branch closures until 2025 at the earliest.
• Worker and Consumer Directors on the Boards of the main retail Banks.
• Just reward for staff including cost of living pay increases and variable pay
• Legislation to compel the publication of the gender pay gap in the finance sector in NI, to make pay ranges transparent and for an action plan to be agreed with trade unions to close the Gender Pay Gap.
• A staff orientated remote working policy
• Legislation to guarantee access to cash for customers and communities.
• Regulation on eliminating ATM charges.
• Requirements for retail banks to invest a % of their profits each year into digital education of customers.

We further call on the next Finance Minister to continue the roundtable discussions initiated by Minister Murphy and to formalise the meetings as part of an overall review of the banking sector.