A warning has been issued to anybody banking with a certain group of high street banks this month. Lloyds Banking Group plans to close its major Speke office in Liverpool, affecting around 500 staff and the closure is part of a strategy to create ‘fewer, better-equipped’ offices and cut costs.
Approximately 420 employees will be asked to relocate to Lloyds’ Chester office and union officials have criticised the decision as unnecessary and harmful to staff and the local community. The Speke office, known as Estuary House, is a significant contact centre handling fraud and customer services.
Unite national officer Dominic Hook explained: “The proposed closure of the large Lloyds Banking Group centre in Liverpool Speke is a huge mistake. The impact on the hundreds of staff and the region will be significant and is wholly unnecessary.
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“The impact of the longer commute to Chester for colleagues is huge. While some workers in Speke do currently work from home, a substantial number still do need to travel into the centre for work. The refusal of Lloyds Banking Group to open an alternative Liverpool office is completely unjustified and damaging. Poor communication of the site closure has added insult to injury, with management telling staff of the decision by email.
“The loss of important jobs from Liverpool is a blow. Unite wants to see Lloyds Banking Group maintain its presence in the city and ensure that those who work in its Liverpool office continue to have a safe local facility to do their jobs.”
A Lloyds Banking Group spokesman told GB News: “In line with our commitment to enhancing our property estate, we are creating fewer, better-equipped, modern and sustainable offices to suit the future of our business.
“As part of this, we are building hubs and communities in key locations across the UK to help deliver on our strategy.”