Lloyds to close Dundee city centre site with 250 jobs facing axe

Lloyds, which owns Bank of Scotland and was recently returned to full private ownership following its £20bn taxpayer bailout at the height of the financial crisis, said yesterday that it is to cease operations at its West Marketgait location from December 8.

The news comes as the company aims to boost efficiency by focusing on “larger centres of excellence”.

Around 230 workers of the 252 staff based in Dundee will be able to consider a move to the group’s centre in Dunfermline, Fife, where it already employs a 1000 strong workforce.

Reacting to the announcement, Lynne Short convener of Dundee City Council’s city development committee, said: “While Lloyd’s Banking Group has said that it will support staff affected by this announcement, there is not a great deal of detail yet about exactly what this will mean for people working in the Bank of Scotland contact centre at West Marketgait.

“This makes it a worrying and upsetting time for more than 250 local families and we will do everything we can to offer as much practical support and advice as we can to help them through this.

“While losing this many jobs at one go is disappointing the city’s economy is resilient.”

Ged Nichols, general secretary of banking union Accord, which has 143 members among the at-risk workforce, said the announcement had been brought forward by a day due to media speculation about possible job losses.

Some members of staff broke down in tears at the news.

Mr Nichols said Accord had been left “wrongfooted” by the change in timing of the announcemtnt but was now providing support to affected workers and consulting its members over its response.

He added: “Obviously, today they got the news and we have contacted them all by email with a message of support and to tell them our senior official will be on site to help with any initial questions or issues that people want to talk about.”

However, Dundee City Council leader John Alexander – whose wife Sarah is one of the affected employees – slammed the bank for its treatment of staff.

He said: “It’s a bitter blow to the individuals and families affected. That is not the way I expect employers in this city to treat their employees.”