Assurances sought for Bootle members amid Santander Operations transformation plan

Telecoms & Financial Services, Santander November 3 2020

Image credit: JuliusKielaitis / Shutterstock.com

Tuesday 3rd November 2020

The strongest possible representations are being made on behalf of 235 employees in Bootle who stand to be impacted by the Bank’s transformation plan for Santander Operations which proposes to automate and digitise  a number of back office functions.

Under proposals announced by Santander Operations this morning (Tuesday) a total of 334 permanent employees across the country face being placed ‘at risk’ of possible redundancy as a result of the proposed transfer of their work to an as yet undisclosed third party supplier. A large number of those affected work within Business Banking, Corporate Banking and Payment Operations at the massive CWU-represented site in Merseyside. Others impacted are in three other Santander locations outside of the union’s recognised collective bargaining unit.

CWU national officer for Santander Sally Bridge said: “The union’s Santander National Team is obviously concerned by these proposals but our primary focus is on identifying and firming up alternative roles for all impacted members in Bootle who do not wish to take redundancy package.

“We’re already pushing the Bank hard on alternative opportunities and it’s positive that 456 roles have been identified as vacancies including a large number in the Financial Crime Team – and are heartened by the statements that have already been made by the management on its commitment to redeployment and reskilling.

“As such, although the number of employees affected by this part of Santander Operations’ ongoing transformation is substantial – with Bootle being disproportionately affected – we’re hopeful we’ll be able to mitigate and avoid compulsory redundancies because there will be employees who want to voluntarily take the redundancy package, but more importantly substantial numbers of alternative roles are already on the table.

“The key task for the CWU National Team  is to ensure these roles are viable and that they will hopefully eventually provide genuinely permanent roles for displaced individuals that they can move into seamlessly.”

Sally concludes: “Affected members will be kept fully updated as the formal consultation progresses, and anyone with questions or concerns should contact their local representative in the first instance.”