Up to 2,000 bank workers fear they could lose their jobs to Far East call centres.

The Lloyds TSB Group Union (LTU) said yesterday the company was expected to save millions by adding 1,200 jobs to the 1,300 positions already transferred to India.

Employees are worried 1,800 jobs at the credit unit at Sussex House in Gloucester Place, Brighton and 200 jobs at the registrars operation in The Causeway, Worthing, are at risk.

City analysts are predicting that Lloyds TSB will announce pre-tax profits of about £3.33 billion today.

Such profits would bring the total reported by the UK's five biggest banks to a record £29.8 billion for 2004.

Steve Tatlow, assistant general secretary at LTU, described "offshoring" jobs as making profits without conscience.

He said: "The level of profits being announced by Lloyds TSB removes any remaining excuse for exporting jobs abroad.

"What's more, other leading banks have announced even higher profits whilst remaining committed to operating only from the UK.

"To continue with a policy of exporting jobs to India whilst making such huge profits is evidence of a total lack of corporate social responsibility."

The LTU, which represents 45,000 Lloyds TSB workers, fears the Sussex centres could follow the lead of the bank's call centre in Newcastle where 960 jobs were lost to India.

Call centre workers in India are paid the equivalent of about £1,200 a year.

In November, Lloyds TSB confirmed 65 jobs would be transferred from Sussex to India but there would be no redundancies.

A Lloyds TSB spokesman said the union's claims were wild speculation and scaremongering which was not in the interest of LTU members.

He said: "By the end of the year we will have no more than 2,500 staff offshore which is about three per cent of our UK staff.

"The majority of that will be managed by natural staff turnover.

"We can't say which individual jobs will be offshored but anybody affected will be offered an alternative position."

Friday March 4, 2005