Merger Societe Generale-North Credit will result in 3,700 job cuts by 2025

The group ensures that there will be no constrained departures. The grouping network will have 1,450 agencies in 2025: it will have been divided by more than two in a dozen years.

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In September 2020, Société Générale revealed its absorption project, by its network of agencies, of its subsidiary credit from the North, to reduce its costs of 450 million euros in 2025. A year more late, the group stated Tuesday 12 October the details of this merger, scheduled for the 1 e January 2023. It will result in a significant decline in the workforce, the bank announcing 3,700 net deletions of positions between 2023 and 2025 to no longer count in the unified network than 25,000 employees. “About 15% of current current workforce”, reacted the CGT, deploring “a risky and socially expensive strategic project”.

The Group undertakes that the merger is carried out “Without no restraint”, the job cuts to be based on the natural departures (pensions, resignations, etc.), estimated at 1,500 per year of here at 2025. It also puts on internal reclassifications and mobility. Some 100 million euros will be devoted to a plan for the training and support of employees whose profession will evolve. Management recognizes, however, that “on certain jobs and basins of employment, additional voluntary departure measures could be put in place”.

Very significant reduction

The merger will result in a very significant reduction in the number of agencies, since more than 600 Société General or Northern Credit agencies will close. The grouping network will not count more than 1,450 agencies in 2025. In 2013, the two signs first identified 3,158 outlets. The mesh will have been divided by more than two in a dozen years. The management of the group ensures that “the grouping of agencies will be realized without leaving cities, since it will concern Société General and Northern Credit agencies located near each other in the same city”.

With the art of a formula transforming the least in addition, the group adds that “this mesh will ultimately represent more outlets for our customers: 15% more for customers Societe Generale compared to 2020 and Nearly three times more for those of North Credit “.

Workforce declines will also largely come with “back-offices” sites, these banking processing centers, which will increase from 24 to 13. The Bank will also only have one seat. , and a single computer system. The new establishment, however, intends to capitalize on the strength of the Regional Northern Credit Model, playing the decentralization card. It will be organized in 11 regions that will benefit from expanded responsibilities “to reinforce the speed of the decision and customer satisfaction”.

Inspired by the decentralized mutual model, the bank will propose that “in the vast majority of cases”, the choice to grant a credit is taken “mostly at the level of the agency and centers of “. To keep customers very attached to the different signs of the Crédit du Nord Group (composed of nine regional institutions, including courteous banks, Kolb, Laynnier, Nuger or Tarnend), Societe Generale will combine a new brand for its merged network, which will reflect ” Membership in a large group and regional specificities “and will be unveiled current 2022.

The 10 million customers of the new network will see other changes: “The reachability of our advisers will be strengthened, increasing by 15% the number of advisers in our remote relationship centers, and with an opening amplitude More important agencies, “note the group. As for customers “consuming essentially bank services on a daily basis”, a new distance platform will be destined for them.

While the trade union organizations reproach the leadership of having engaged this merger for the sole purpose of achieving savings, the management intends to show that it wears an “offensive” project, and sets the very ambitious objective to appear “in the top 3 customer satisfaction”. According to a confidential BVA study conducted in 2020 by a competing bank, the Société Générale would be included in 2020 at the eighth row – in the penultimate place – a ranking based on the Customer Recommendation Index (IRC). Far behind the head trio formed by Crédit Mutuel, CIC and Crédit Agricole.

/Media reports.