Trade union officials and Aviva management met for crisis talks last evening following revelations that restructuring plans could result in far more job losses than first thought.
An RTÉ Prime Time report revealed earlier this week that a confidential review of Aviva’s Irish operations in Dublin, Galway, and Cork, which has been code-named ‘Operation Excelerate’, could result in up to 1,000 job losses.
Concern for Aviva jobs was first highlighted two weeks ago when it was revealed that the restructuring plans could result in the loss of some 500 posts throughout the Aviva Group in Ireland. Aviva employs some 2,000 people in Ireland with some 210 employed in its Galway operations - a call centre in Knocknacarra and a retail branch in Eyre Square.
When speculation regarding job losses began UNITE trade union, which represents 1,300 of the 2,000 workforce, met with management hoping for a rejection of the rumours, however, neither a confirmation nor a denial was forthcoming with Aviva management maintaining that a review was on-going. UNITE urged Aviva management to inform staff of the situation as soon as possible as morale was extremely low, a situation which is now expected to get worse with new revelations that job losses could be in the region of between 800 and 1,000.
At time of going to press, UNITE representatives met with Aviva management at the company’s headquarters in Dublin at 4pm yesterday to seek further clarification on restructuring plans.
It is understood that under ‘Operation Excelerate’ restructuring and cost-cutting moves could result in branches being reduced from 26 to 11 and the creation of an ‘on-the-road’ sales force and automation projects to replace staff.
