‘No signs of ending’

Unite the union, representing staff across Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) has expressed anger about the banks’ decision to close a further 100 branches, resulting in over 200 job losses.

The UK has now seen thousands of bank branches disappear from across Britain’s high streets. Since 2014 over 1,500 retail bank branch closures have been announced by just the big four retail banks.

The announcement today of further branch closures will impact 54 LBG branches, 22 Halifax branches and 24 Bank of Scotland branches.

“The continuous stream of branch closures announced by the UK’s retail bank branches appears to show no signs of ending,” said Unite national officer Rob MacGregor. “The loss of a further 100 local banks will be painful for high streets across the country to absorb.

“Unite is angered that another 200 staff have today been told that their job will be cut due to their branch shutting,” he added. “Lloyds Banking Group’s rationale for branch closures is the claimed customer preference towards the use of technology across banking. However this simply doesn’t ring true when it’s clear that many customers still value the face to face engagement with experienced and knowledgeable bank staff.

“The industry must halt these endless branch closure programs and open their eyes to what these closures are doing to rural communities, their disabled customers and the small business customers who depend on access to a local branch.”

As a further blow to the banking sector Lloyds Banking Group has also today announced that an additional 200 managerial staff will go in yet another business re-organisation.