Hundreds of workers are to lose their jobs with the closure of a call centre in the Midlands.
Staff at the Barclays Coventry contact centre were informed this morning that the site will be closed with the loss of 350 jobs.
Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said:
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“This is a real bolt from the blue and obviously our sympathies are with the staff involved.
“With the recent upturn in the economy, now backed by firm statistical evidence, the service sector has been showing some encouraging signs, so I think this announcement will be a surprise to many.
“Barclays has said that some jobs will be retained at Westwood, and we hope they are a significant number and that the company can work hard in the next eight months to help those staff who are not being retained find suitable positions outside the firm or within the wider group.”
Unite, the union which represents staff at Barclays, has called on the bank to reconsider the closure of this centre, scheduled for March 2014.
The union is seeking alternative local employment for all staff impacted by this decision.
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Dominic Hook, Unite national officer, said: “News of the closure of this large Barclays processing centre will be deeply distressing for the workforce and the local community. 350 people have today been told that their future is uncertain.
“Unite has real questions as to why such an important and productive centre in Coventry is being closed. This decision is damaging to Barclays, the staff and the local community in Coventry - where this centre is a large local employer.
“Unite will continue to press Barclays to find suitable local redeployment opportunities for the Coventry staff.”