Brum jobs will be lost to India

Jul 5 2006

Banking group Barclays is to close sites in Birmingham and Hastings with the loss of hundreds of jobs.

Some of the work carried out at the two centres will be outsourced to India, the group said yesterday.

A total of 350 staff will be affected by the decision, although 140 posts would be created by expanding the operation at Basingstoke.

The decision affects the buttet and sales finance divisions of Barclays Business Banking and follows 1,200 job cuts announced by Barclays last week in its banking division.

Stephen Price, managing director of Barclays buttet and sales finance, said: "The market is moving quickly and we have to move with it to ensure future success.

"Our customers have told us what they want - a more slick and streamlined process. The changes will lead to reinvestment in our business infrastructure.

"This has not been an easy decision and we have looked carefully at all alternatives for the business.

"We are being open and honest with staff and have announced this decision early to give us as much time as possible to talk to each member of staff individually and discuss future options with them."

Barclays said it was aiming to minimise job losses by redeploying and retraining staff.

Keith Brookes, national officer at Amicus, said: "Job losses are always devastating. We are endeavouring to keep compulsory redundancies to an absolute minimum.

"We are confident that the vast majority of the job cuts will be dealt with through natural attrition and redeployment."

Up to 200 high street Barclays branches are to close over the next 18 months and the Woolwich name will disappear.