Lloyds TSB put another 465 UK banking jobs at risk today after it announced plans to close operations in five locations.
The proposals affecting back office administration posts will result in the loss of 211 jobs in Swansea, as well as 126 posts in Plymouth, 38 in Cardiff, 35 roles in Stockton and 55 jobs in Taunton.
Lloyds TSB said it would look to find alternative roles for as many staff as possible, as part of its plans to switch work to larger company sites, including offices in Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham.
But the Lloyds TSB Group Union (LTU) claimed the move is “offshoring by proxy”, saying it was directly linked linked to the company’s use of offices in India, where it is expected to employ more than 2,000 people by the end of the year.
Steve Tatlow, assistant general secretary at LTU, said: “It is unacceptable that even more jobs are to be lost in vulnerable communities across the UK merely because Lloyds TSB can replace staff in the UK with workers paid a fraction of the salary in India.
“The bank is trying to throw up a smoke-screen to conceal the fact that these jobs are being lost as a direct consequence of work being transferred to India. It is a clear case of offshoring by proxy.”
A spokeswoman for the bank denied the charges. He said: “The changes are in no way linked to offshoring.”
