ING management begins talks with unions

ING Belgium and labour unions have begun talks surrounding the bank’s restructuring plan, following the unions’ refusal last week to appear at a works council meeting with management. This marks the first time that the unions and management have met since the bank’s announcement earlier this month that it would lay off some 3,500 people over the next five years.

Unions are expected to receive all the relevant information, and by Wednesday representatives from the three unions – the Christian CSC, socialist ABVV and liberal CGSLB, together with their French-speaking counterparts – will inform union members about the talks.

According to Philippe Samek, the national secretary of the French-speaking CNE union, management and unions have agreed on the procedure the talks should follow. At the start of the talks he spoke of “positive adjustments” that were made.

ING’s restructuring plan consists of 350 jobs lost through natural attrition this year, and 3,150 redundancies spread over five years. Half of the bank’s branches (including the affiliate Record Bank) will be closed.