Trade union chiefs have threatened strikes over the devastating Bank of Scotland (Ireland) job losses and warned they will fight any other cuts in the sector.

Unite leaders condemned the 750 lay-offs and claimed 10,000 finance workers were determined to resist widescale redundancies.

Bank of Scotland plans to shut its 44 high street branches operating under the Halifax brand from the summer, along with a call centre in Dundalk.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen vowed customers would not be affected by the closures, claiming worried mortgage and account-holders would be looked after.

At an emergency meeting of Unite members and bank workers, regional secretary Jimmy Kelly said frontline staff were being punished even though they did not cause the economic crisis.

"Unite will resist compulsory redundancy in any restructuring proposals brought forward by foreign or Irish-owned financial institutions," Mr Kelly said.

"Our members will unite to forcibly resist any compulsory redundancy in the context of restructuring."

Serious concerns were growing among the banking community and finance experts that the massive cutbacks could be repeated among other lenders.

In the Dail, Mr Cowen came under pressure to reveal when the Government first realised that the bank intended laying off staff and shutting its retail branches.

He said the hundreds of lay-offs reflected Ireland's economic and banking realities.