ALMOST TWO-THIRDS OF banking staff say they do not have confidence in the management of their bank – and less than half say they are happy in their current working environment, according to a survey.

The findings, which were revealed in a survey carried out by the UNITE trade union, also found that only one in seven bank employees feel confident about their own job security.

“It is remarkable that the actions of senior management over one decade have destroyed the general esteem in a workforce that was once proud of what they did, were respected in their communities and were an essential pillar of the Irish economy,” said Colm Quinlan, UNITE Regional Officer.

Just 13.6 per cent of respondents said that they had confidence in the management of their company. 60.1 per cent said that they didn’t and 26.3 per cent were unsure. The survey described the lack of confidence as “chronic”.

When asked if they enjoyed their current working environment 57 per cent of respondents answered No. 29.4 per cent said that they did while just over 13 per cent of respondents were unsure.

A slim majority of workers would support escalating industrial action – 52.8 per cent – with 16.3 per cent saying they wouldn’t and just over 30 per cent who were not sure.

Just one in seven respondents have confidence in the security of their job, with 63.7 per cent saying that they didn’t. “That one in seven should feel confidence about what was one generation ago was considered a stable and secure job is a real indictment of the damage wreaked within banking as well as within the wider community,” said Quinlan.

A huge majority – 83.2 per cent – of those surveyed were concerned about their pension scheme.

The vast majority of staff working in a customer facing role said that they have felt uncomfortable undertaking actions asked of them by management in relation to customers in the past 12 months.

One respondent to the survey said: “There has been no accountability at the top of the organisation yet staff at the grass roots are subjected to micro management”.

The union has almost 5,000 members working across Irish Life and Permanent TSB, EBS, and Bank of Ireland. The survey was conducted in the week ending last Tuesday 8 November.