Liverpool bank workers escape jobs axe

SOME 300 workers at Barclays £15m Wavertree Technology Park contact centre appear to have escaped the axe.

The bank has opted to cut 248 jobs at its Coventry site after deciding to consolidate part of its back office functions.

Its customer payments solution, digital and social media teams work across three sites in the UK – Westwood Park in Coventry, Liverpool and Sunderland – but it will now “manage the majority of this work” from its other two sites.

In a statement, Barclays said: “Regrettably, this will mean that a number of roles will fall away in Coventry, and so we are working closely with our colleagues impacted, to help them through this process and secure alternative roles where possible.

“We have approximately 1,500 staff who currently work at Westwood Park in Coventry which remains a key location for a number of our operations.”

The 248 jobs, which includes 63 temporary roles, will go by the end of this year.

“This announcement will bring tremendous worry and anxiety to these staff,” said Unite national officer Dominic Hook.

“The union’s entire focus will be on pressing Barclays to find suitable alternative roles for staff within Barclays at Westwood and in Birmingham.”