Congress has called for an "urgent Government engagement" on the problems facing the financial sector and the development of a coherent employment strategy across all financial institutions.
Congress General Secretary David Begg said the problems facing the sector were such that the establishment of a Financial Sector Forum would "assist greatly in allowing all parties to collaborate in the development of a coherent plan for the future."
"Given the importance of this sector, it would be wrong to allow the issue to develop in an ad hoc manner. This requires a strategic and urgent engagement on the part of Government.
Mr Begg said that the necessary emphasis on future employment levels meant that the involvement of the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation, Richard Bruton, would be "desirable and very helpful."
The call from Congress comes in the wake of the announcement from Ulster Bank of plans to cut 950 jobs, coupled with the serious job losses already suffered across the sector.
"To date,we have seen over 6,000 jobs lost in financial institutions. Unfortunately, without the means to engage on the future, the message those losses send out is that it is staff who will carry the can for decades of disgraceful management and reckless behaviour.
"That is neither fair, nor sustainable," Mr Begg said.
