Grim news today locally about jobs.
The Echo reports:
“THE HSBC bank is to close its Southend headquarters, with the loss of more than 750 jobs.”
The Guardian has a figure of 600 for Southend:
“Another 1,700 jobs are to go at HSBC, bringing the total losses this year to 3,400.
HSBC said the cuts were the result of a restructuring of its branch network management, and the merging of several debt collection and debit and credit card operations.
Unite, the UK’s largest trade union, reacted with fury to the announcement, attacking the plans as a “fundamental mistake”.
Southend, where 600 jobs will go, is the worst affected site. In Southampton just over 200 staff will lose their jobs, with another 110 jobs going in Sheffield, nearly 100 in Manchester and 30 in Leicester….
…Rob MacGregor, national officer at Unite, said: “Unite is appalled that HSBC is choosing to cut a further 1,700 staff from across the UK. HSBC needs to urgently reconsider its strategy. At a time of strong market performance by HSBC, they should not be cutting their most crucial asset, the staff that have contributed to ?3bn half-year profits and delivered market strength in a challenging financial climate.
“Unite views the loss of 1,700 staff as a fundamental mistake. The union does not believe this will do anything to improve the company’s future performance. HSBC should think again before cutting its skilled and dedicated workers.”…..
Unite continues to argue that the case for closure of the HSBC Southend office has not been proven.Many of those who had been told that they would lose their jobs were low-paid workers, earning as little as ?14,000 a year, the union said.
Unemployment is a growing problem in our neighbourhood, as elsewhere, and not least in the financial services sector.
St Nick’s – Rawreth’s parish church – has just announced the setting up of a couple of job clubs as a practical, compassionate response to this. Initial details are available through the parish church blog, at http://stnicksrawreth.blogspot.com/2009/11/st-nicks-job-clubs.html
I thought RBS had also announced a similar number of job cuts at the Southend offices near Tesco.
Paul: What you are planning is very worthwhile, I was out of work for an 11 month spell back in the early 1980s, it was a very demoralising time for me…..
Yes, Chris, I too have had a pretty horrid experience and would wish to help others have a better one. I first graduated with a non-vocational degree in the summer of 1991 into a significantly smaller recession than our present one. It was a crushing kind of sensation to feel ‘not wanted’.
Hopefully, we can be part of the process of getting through this – and feeling a little more valued – in the job clubs. Do please commend the idea, readers of this blog, to those who may wish to use them.