Union pickets HSBC over plan to move jobs abroad

Members of the finance union Unifi are stepping up their protests over HSBC's plans to move jobs abroad, by demonstrating outside the bank's branches and warning customers of deteriorating service.

Unifi, which has merged with Amicus, intends to hand out postcards on Saturday at a handful of high-profile HSBC branches in an attempt to convince customers to sign a petition calling for the protection of jobs and customer service.

Rob O'Neill, a Unifi official, said: "We believe that having to deal with global service centres is so unpopular among customers that they will start to vote with their feet and switch to banks that use solely UK staff. We are worried as this could result in further job losses in the UK."

HSBC has announced plans to cut 7,500 jobs in Britain, with about 4,500 of those the result of a decision to move work to countries where labour costs are less, such as India and Malaysia.

Unifi cited a staff survey that showed customers were finding it difficult to deal with global processing centres because of language and cultural differences.

HSBC insists the change has not damaged customer service. A spokesman said research by external consultants continued to rank HSBC above its peer group for customer service. The bank says none of the jobs cut so far has required compulsory redundancy.

Unifi hopes customers will send the postcards, bearing the slogan "keep HSBC jobs local", to the bank's chief executive. The message is a play on the bank's boast that it is the "world's local bank".

Unifi has been expressing concern about HSBC plans to move service centres offshore as well as initiatives implemented by Michael Geoghegan, the chief executive of the UK operations, to boost sales.

He has pledged to make an aggressive assault on the high street with a range of simpler banking, savings and insurance products. He has told staff he is determined to boost the bank's market shares and fight back against Royal Bank of Scotland.

HSBC has a 15% share of current accounts and a 4% share of the mortgage market.

While many other financial services firms are using off-shore centres to process work previously done in Britain, HSBC appears to be incurring most of the wrath of unions in the sector. Some banks, including HBOS and RBS, have insisted they will not move jobs abroad.