Up to 700 jobs in Southend are at risk because a high street bank plans to export jobs to India, a union said today.

The Lloyds TSB Group Union (LTU) says the jobs at Essex House, in Southchurch Avenue, are under threat as the bank looks to save money on its wage bill.

Up to 1500 jobs are already set to be lost as jobs are moved to Bangalore and Hyderbad in India, with the possibility of many jobs to follow, the union claims.

Bank bosses have already announced the closure of a call centre in Newcastle with the loss of 960 jobs but insisted Southend would remain untouched.

However, a union spokesman said: "In Southend the bank has a number of 'back office' operations at Essex House, Southchurch Avenue, where more than 700 staff deal with its credit card business.

"LTU believes these jobs are at risk from the bank's actions."

A spokeswoman for Lloyds TSB said: "We are looking at very specific service areas in transferring jobs to India and workers in our Southend operations are not affected.

"There are no current plans to transfer any jobs from Southend."

Published Thursday January 8, 2004

Brought to you by the Evening Echo