Labour Court recommends changes to EBS terms after AIB integration

The Labour Court recommended changes to EBS employees’ terms after its integration into AIB, in a recommendation signed on 21 October 2013. The Court recommended accepting the company’s proposal to align future pension increases with the AIB scheme. It also recommended that the union accept its proposal for two additional working hours, introduced in stages in January and June 2014. The recommendation said private health insurance premium payments should continue under existing arrangements through 2014 before ending, and that EBS maternity leave arrangements should continue for transferring staff. Flexitime arrangements were to end from January 2014. It also recommended a once-off payment equal to 2% of salary for those associated with the claims. Unite the Union said workers faced greater changes to their terms than EBS management or comparable AIB grades; the company said the merger brought greater career opportunities and that basic pay rates and pension entitlements had not been cut.