Workers outside Aviva’s Dublin HQ this morning.
And the statement from Aviva:
“Ireland is one of Aviva’s 12 priority markets and the company is fully committed to ensuring that its Irish customers continue to receive excellent service and products at competitive prices.
However, the macro-economic environment is challenging and there is a pressing need to ensure the Irish cost base is at a market-leading level to secure the long-term success of the business.
Following a detailed structural review, Aviva is proposing to make its Irish business part of a new UK and Ireland region, aligning many of the activities and services provided for customers. The Irish business would benefit from Aviva UK’s investment in technology, underwriting capability and significant purchasing power, enabling Aviva Ireland to offer more competitive pricing and to introduce new products and services. Aviva will also investigate the feasibility of establishing additional centres of excellence in Ireland to serve customers in the UK, as the business grows. This could potentially mitigate the reduction in roles in Ireland by approximately 200.
There are currently 1,770 employees in the Aviva Ireland business. The company anticipates that if the proposals were implemented the number of roles remaining in Ireland would be between 1,000-1,200 (including roles which may potentially be outsourced). Aviva will ensure that any new structures or outsourcing proposals are appropriately resourced and will engage with the Central Bank of Ireland in relation to such structures or proposals before implementation.
Any proposed structural changes in the Irish business are not expected to begin to take effect before March 2012 and Aviva anticipates that it could take up to two years for a new structure to come into full effect. The Irish and UK boards are in the process of evaluating these proposals, which will require approval by the respective boards and relevant regulatory bodies. In parallel, Aviva will engage with employees and their representatives on the proposed changes.
Throughout this process, Aviva will continue to provide excellent service to customers and business partners.”
Aviva Announcement Worse Than Feared (Irish Examiner)