Barclays Staff Tell Shareholders: “Protect our Pensions”

LONDON -

Date: Thursday, 6th August 2009

Time: 9.30am - 11.30am

Location: The Brewery, Chiswell Street, London, EC1Y 4SD

Workers from Barclays are today (Thursday) protesting outside the Barclays shareholder meeting as part of their dispute regarding pensions.

Unite members will carry placards stating: “Hands off our pensions” to highlight their anger at proposals by Barclays to close their final salary pension scheme. Workers will be handing a leaflet to shareholders as they enter the meeting.

The shareholder meeting has been called by Barclays to gain agreement to sell the Barclays Global Investors (BGI) business to BlackRock.

Keith Brookes, Unite National Secretary, said: “Barclays staff are protesting outside the meeting of shareholders to make it clear that they are incensed by the decision to close their valued pension scheme. Our members will not accept this decision by the bank to erode their pension arrangements.

“Today staff will tell shareholders their message to Barclays is: ‘Hands off our pension’.

“The union has serious concerns as to why Barclays is choosing to take this action against their hardworking and loyal staff. Shareholders must recognise that the possibility of strike action will be very damaging for the bank.

“Unite want shareholders to ask the bank why they would embark on this battle with their workforce at a time when they are working so hard to deliver fantastic service to their customers, despite the difficult economic climate.

“Unite also welcomes the GBP3 billion half year profit by Barclays, but we are appalled by Barclays grasping attitude to their long serving workers whose pensions they plan to cut. At the same time it would appear that fat cat bonuses may well remain on the agenda for senior executives at Barclays.

“It is well past the time to end the remuneration packages that reward short term profits and irresponsible risk taking and Barclays should look at the long term pension interests of its ordinary workforce who are on ordinary wages.”

Unite will be balloting its members within Barclays during autumn. In a consultative ballot last month, 92% of members said they wanted to be balloted by Unite on industrial action.

The industrial unrest would significantly impact the operations of Barclays and the service they can provide for their customers.

Unite represents over 25,000 members within Barclays. Unite members work across all of Barclays operations including bank branches, processing centres, call centres, computer centres and Barclaycard centres.

Source: Unite the Union

For more information contact Ashraf Choudhury in the Unite press office on +44(0)7980-224761.