The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Bank branch closures are condemned
Aunion has attacked news of more bank branch closures as “inexcusable”. Unite said a decision by Lloyds Banking Group to close another 28 branches threatened scores of job losses.
National officer Caren Evans said: “The branch closure announcement today that another profitmaking financial institution is failing to consider the needs of consumers and staff beggars belief.
“This news is another example of a bank choosing to walk away from the communities who need access to banking.
“The actions of Lloyds Banking Group over the last few months are completely inexcusable.
“These closures will leave some customers more than 10 miles from their nearest bank branch.
“This is a betrayal of some of the most vulnerable, elderly and socially excluded in our communities who need local access to community banking.”
Unite said more than 5,000 bank and building society branches have closed since 2015.
Lloyds Banking Group said it will close 20 Lloyds Bank and eight Halifax branches between August and November this year.
A statement said: “It remains true that online and mobile banking continue to grow, as branch usage falls.
“On average, visits to these 28 branches have dropped by 60% since 2016, while we now have 18.6 million regular online banking customers and over 15 million mobile app users.
“It is important that we therefore continue to look at where our branches are best placed.
“Each of these locations
has a free to use ATM, and a Post Office, within one mile.
“As with all proposed closures, these plans have been through LINK’s independent cash-access assessment, with no enhancements required.
“We aim to support all colleagues impacted, who want to remain with the
Group, (and) move to a new role.”
Vim Maru, group retail director, Lloyds Banking Group, said: “Our network is important, but we need to make decisions to ensure we have the right branches in the right places, as we respond to customers doing the vast majority of their banking online.”