Too far, too fast

Unite called on Lloyds Banking Group to give a no compulsory redundancy guarantee today (July 28) as the banking group announced a further 3,000 job losses and the closure of 200 branches by the end of 2017.

The latest announcement comes on top of 9,000 job losses and 200 branch closures announced in 2014 as part of Lloyds Bank’s second group strategic review. The latest cuts means a total of 12,000 will have been axed and 400 branches closed by the end of 2017, taking the total number of jobs lost to 50,000 since the creation of Lloyds Banking Group in 2009.

Accusing Lloyd’s of playing ‘fast and loose’ with customer service, the union warned that the latest round of devastating cuts would heap pressure on a workforce that has been in a state of constant flux for over seven years.

“This grim news of yet more job losses and branch closures will send a shiver down the spine of Lloyds employees, who have worked hard to make the bank a success and deliver excellent customer service against a backdrop of continual uncertainty,” said Unite national officer Rob MacGregor.

“There is a real danger that customer service will suffer and access to banking for numerous communities will be damaged because of this latest round of savage cuts,” he added.

“Over the coming days and weeks Unite will be in talks with Lloyds to understand the announcement in detail, pressing it for guarantees over compulsory redundancies and warning it against cutting too far too fast.

“Lloyds should be in doubt that Unite will oppose all compulsory redundancies and will be doing everything in its power to ensure that those employees who wish to continue working for the banking group do so.”