Barclays: Bank to cut 450 jobs as union brands move ‘unnecessary and unjustified’
British bank Barclays has told staff it is planning to cut around 450 jobs across the business, trade union Unite has said.
Mid- to senior-level staff at the business’s head office are likely to be affected, the PA news agency understands.
Unite, which represents staff members at the bank, said it was an “unnecessary and unjustified” decision affecting people earning moderate salaries with the bank.
The Unite trade union has said it is going to meet with the chief executive of Barclays to push for a guarantee of no compulsory job losses, after it said around 450 staff roles are at risk.
National officer Dominic Hook said: “How can a profitable finance organisation such as Barclays slash over 450 staff amid a cost-of-living crisis? This isn’t an organisation struggling to survive, this bank is making billions of pounds of profits.
“If these plans for compulsory redundancy are implemented then hundreds of families will lose their livelihoods and face financial hardship because of a management decision which is both unnecessary and unjustified.
“The staff losing their jobs are not highly paid rich City bankers but those earning modest salaries within Barclays.
“Unite is opposed to these job losses and has called on Barclays to commit to no compulsory job losses.
“The bank must scrap these plans and reconsider. Unite is willing to work with the bank to ensure staff are given re-training and redeployment opportunities.”
A spokeswoman for Barclays said: “We continue to review and adapt our operations based on the ways customers are choosing to interact with us.
“These changes will enable greater collaboration across our teams, allowing us to continue to improve service for customers and clients.
“We are committed to supporting colleagues through this change, working closely with Unite.”