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30th August 2009 - Press speculation is unhelpful and distressing for members says Accord

Accord's General Secretary has commented on the speculation in today's press and on the broadcast media about potential job losses in the Halifax branch network. Ged Nichols said:

"HBOS staff have had a horrible year since the Bank got into trouble last September. Most (apart from those in Scotland of course) will have hopefully been enjoying a bank holiday weekend away from the normal pressures of work. This inaccurate speculation will upset the limited family time that employees get and is unhelpful and distressing.

The unions and the Bank are committed to working through future integration plans in the right way and treating staff with dignity and respect as and when changes might affect them. The press speculation does not help in any way." 

A Lloyds Banking Group spokesman has clarified the position as below: 

"Halifax has decided to close 26 third-party agency counters in England and Wales. A strategic review of the remaining third party agency counters is underway. No decisions have therefore been taken about the third party agency counters. Contrary to a recent media report, the 3,000 Lloyds Banking Group bank branches are not included in this review. Bank branches are a core and very important part of the Group's retail banking model and will continue to be so.

Agency counters are not Halifax branches. They are bank counters operated under license by a third party business like an estate agent, solicitors or financial advisor and the staff in these branches are employed by the agent rather than the Halifax. Agency counters offer basic services such as paying-in and withdrawing money, not the full range of services available at Halifax branches.

Agents operating the 26 counters have already been informed and the closures will take place in September and October. All the businesses which these counters operated from will remain open and trading as usual.  Our priority is to minimise any impact on customers and all customers potentially affected by these changes have all been written to." 

Any queries should be referred to ged.nichols@AccordHQ.org

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