District Secretaries

For administrative purposes, the IBOA's members are divided according to their employment. In the case of the larger employments – the major retail banks – they are further subdivided into a number of districts. Every two years, the members in each district elect a District Secretary – often referred to as a Bank Secretary – whose function is to liaise with Executive Committee [EC] members in order to co-ordinate Union activities through the IBOA Representatives in the workplaces in the district. In some districts (in Dublin and Belfast) there may be more than one District Secretary. In such cases, particular bank branches and departments are normally allocated to specific District Secretaries.

For a full breakdown of the composition of the Districts within each Executive member's constituency, please click here.

The District Secretary's responsibilities include:

  • Communication and support for Executive Committee members and IBOA Representatives
  • Recruitment and organisation

The tasks under each of these headings include:

Communication

  • Regular contact with the IBOA Representatives in the District (in the form of quarterly meetings and monthly telephone calls) in order to get feedback on local issues and membership views
  • Regular liaison with the Executive Committee member (including quarterly meetings) in order to communicate local developments
  • Follow-up on Membership Surveys/Ballots so that any administrative difficulties are communicated to the Executive Committee member or to IBOA Head Office
  • Communication of local views into Union Conferences
  • Reporting back to IBOA Representatives after Union Conferences
  • Encouragement to members to attend Union meetings
  • Handling of queries, provision of advice and support for IBOA Representatives and members
  • Referral of industrial relations issues immediately to the Executive Committe member or IBOA Head Office.

Recruitment and Organisation

  • Recruitment of IBOA Representatives to fill any vacancies in the representative structure
  • Liaison with the EC member and IBOA Head Office on the training needs of IBOA Representatives
  • Research into the number of non-members in workplaces in the District with a view to encouraging IBOA Representatives to recruitment them
  • Forwarding of recruitment materials and application forms to IBOA Representatives
  • Communication of recruitment issues to the EC member and other District Secretaries
  • Notification of new IBOA Representatives to IBOA Head Office
  • Co-ordination of IBOA ballots
  • Organisation of local meetings in conjunction with the EC member
  • Organisation of industrial action, where necessary
  • Co-ordination of sports and social activities in conjunction with the regional Sports and Social Committee.