Barclays Disputes Union Claim of 1,000 UK Layoffs, Says 250 Jobs Will Be Cut -- Update

--Barclays said it is cutting 250 jobs in the U.K., not the 1,000 claimed by the Unite trade union

--The bank is closing its Leeds site, but said that many employees will be relocated

 
   By Sabela Ojea and Ian Walker

Barclays PLC has disputed a claim by the Unite workers' union that it is cutting more than 1,000 jobs in the U.K.

Unite--a trade union recognized by Barclays--said Wednesday that the bank is closing its Leeds processing site by the end of the year, with the loss of 800 jobs. It said a further 345 jobs will be cut across the country, including 157 in the city of Coventry.

However, a Barclays spokesperson said the number quoted by the union isn't correct and that a total of 250 jobs are being cut.

The London and New York listed lender said its Leeds site is closing as announced last year "following the landlord's decision to sell the site for residential development," but that only around 200 jobs would be lost because of this.

Barclays said a further 270 roles will be relocated to Manchester and Sunderland, with another 100 relocating within Leeds.

"The remaining population of around 130 are not in scope for today's announcement. The Unite figure also includes agency staff," a Barclays spokesperson said.

The British lender said it will bring teams together "from many sites" of the U.K. at its key campus sites, with 340 employees being affected by that and 50 of them losing their jobs.

"In order to drive collaboration, Barclays is moving teams closer together at our U.K. sites in Glasgow, Greater Manchester and Northampton; where we are investing in new campuses and office space," the spokesperson said.

U.K.-listed shares are up 0.9% at 140.84 pence.

Write to Ian Walker at ian.walker@wsj.com; @IanWalk40289749, Sabela Ojea at @sabela.ojea@wsj.com; @sabelaojeaguix

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 04, 2020 08:42 ET (13:42 GMT)

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