December 04, 2009
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News: Barclaycard to Cut 350 Jobs
Merry Christmas! Barclay Partner Finance in Glasgow announced a major job cut movement just three weeks before Christmas. The credit card company told employees on Wednesday that the company would be cutting 350 positions. Employees were told that all the work currently being done by the 350 employees would be transferred to Barclay's in Cardiff and other United Kingdom locations. Currently, the prominent credit card company's branch in Glasgow houses a call center and other offices. Employees were told that everyone at the location would be affected. The center which has been in operation since 2000, manages a portion of Clydesdale Financial Services, a subsidiary of Barclays Bank. Included in the workload are merchant's point of sale credit card account openings and auto and electrical appliances loans for it business partners Magnet, Everest, and Homebase.
The job cuts are not expected to take place until sometime in March, as the credit card company's official's work out the final details. Representatives of Barclaycard said that the move is part of the company's strategic plan to improve business efficiency and improved customer service. They also said they would be consulting with staff to finalize the job cuts prior to March. Meanwhile, while the company determines how they can reassign employees in an attempt to salvage some job loss, business will be conducted as usual. Neil Radley, Managing Director of International Consumer Lending at the credit card company, said that they realize the news will be disturbing to employees who will be affected by the cuts. Therefore, Barclaycard is making resources available to the employees who could be potentially affected by the job cuts to aid them with their future planning.
Glasgow's Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive, Stuart Patrick said the credit card company's news is disappointing especially after the Royal Bank of Scotland's announcement in September that it too would be eliminating jobs in the Glasgow area. The Royal Bank plans to close two call centers in Glasgow eliminating over 180 employees.