FIRST Trust bank is to close three of its across Derry and Strabane.
It is part of a plan to shut a total of 15 branches across the North of Ireland – a total of half its branches.
No compulsory jobs are expected, say a banking union chief.
But it will be a huge inconvenience to customers, particularly the elderly who do not do online banking and rely their local branch.
Crescent Link branch in Derry will shut on July 7.
The branch in Magherafelt will close on July 28
And it will pull the shutters down on its Strabane branch on July 29.
Head of First Trust Bank, Des Moore, said that the closures were ‘due to changing customer behaviours and trends’
He said that the bank has seen a 40% decline in branch usage since 2010.
Five new business centres are to be created including one in at another Derry branch.
General Secretary of the Financial Services Union, Larry Broderick, described the closures as “a serious blow for staff, customers and the Northern Ireland economy.”
He said: “It is a major blow.
“The Financial Services Union has worked hard in recent years to manage change across the banking system.
“The recent pay and job security deal accepted by staff in AIB Group, which includes First Trust Bank, will ensure that there are no compulsory redundancies as a result of this announcement.
“While opposing the scale of the closures, the Financial Services Union, will work hard over the coming months to ensure that commitments made to staff are upheld and that staff can continue to contribute to the bank and the wider Northern Ireland economy.
“In particular, we will ensure that any staff departures will be on a voluntary basis. This is a position that the union has fought hard to achieve and is in place until 2019.”
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