CompaniesSep 23 2015

L&G staff vote for strike over Kingswood closure

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L&G staff vote for strike over Kingswood closure

Staff at Legal & General’s Kingswood headquarters in Surrey have voted in favour of going on strike in an indicative ballot.

The ballot was organised by Unite, which claims 1,700 jobs are under threat despite L&G reporting an 18 per cent increase in operating profits.

L&G announced plans to leave the Kingswood site by 2017 in August, citing potential cost savings.

Ian Methven, Unite regional officer said: “Sixty-three per cent of members in Kingswood have voted for strike action, a vote which underlines the frustration felt by dedicated and experienced staff who feel they are being cast aside.

“Following this result, Unite has been promised new information and a serious approach to consultation from Legal & General, which we will review before consulting with our members.”

According to Mr Methven, Unite has concerns L&G’s claim that the majority of jobs can be transferred to Hove, Cardiff and London is unrealistic.

A date for a strike would only be set once Unite members backed industrial action in a further ballot.

Right to reply

A Legal & General spokesman said: “The consultation process with the management consultative forum (MCF) and the Unite Legal & General team continues to be constructive, with all parties working together to get the best outcome for both employees and the company.

“We have been encouraged by Unite’s positive response to our proposals on various policies if the proposal to exit Kingswood proceeds.

“We have discussed and shared further detailed analysis on building capacity with both Unite and MCF, and we can confirm we will have capacity at our other locations to meet the future needs of the business in the event that we do exit Kingswood over the next two years.”