BBVA and labor unions sign agreement on adjustment plan in Spain
BBVA and the majority of the labor union representatives (CC.OO., ACB and UGT) have reached an agreement on the adjustment plan in Spain, which involves redundancies of part of the workforce (a total of 2,935 people, about 10 percent of employees of the Group in Spain) through layoffs and voluntary terminations, and an outplacement program for 100 percent of the affected employees through Randstad. The agreement also includes the closing of 480 branches. The process has been characterized by a constructive dialogue between the parties to reach the best agreement for everyone.
The adjustment will involve 2,935 people, 2,725 redundancies and 210 leaves of absence, (a 22.7 percent reduction compared to the 3,798 initially proposed), and 480 branches (50 less than the initial proposal), about 20 percent of branches in Spain. The reduction in the number of redundancies has been made possible, among other things, thanks to the reassignment of 657 people in other tasks within the bank.
The distribution -by areas- of the workforce affected is as follows: 350 people from the Corporate Center¹; 254 people from BBVA Spain’s Central Services; 154 people from intermediate structures of BBVA Spain and; 2,177 people from the branch network.
In order to determine the people affected by this process, it has been agreed that voluntary termination² will take precedence. Additionally, the suitability for the performance of the role/position, training, reskilling and potential, and functional professional capabilities will be taken into consideration.
The agreement includes an outplacement program through HR firm Randstad, which will run for one year, with the possibility of an extension for up to 30 months (vs the six-month period required by law). The goal of this program is to find full-term employment or self-employment formulas for 100 percent of the people affected by the collective layoff who wish to continue working and adhere to the plan.
The cost of the plan is estimated at €960 million before taxes, of which €720 million correspond to the collective layoff and €240 million to the closing of branches. Said cost will be recorded during 2Q21 and the negative impact on the fully-loaded CET1 ratio is estimated at 28 basis points. This process will generate estimated savings of about €250 million annually before taxes starting in 2022, of which around €220 million will be related to staff expenses. In 2021 estimated savings will be about €65 million before taxes.
BBVA wishes to thank all parties involved in this negotiation for the work during these weeks and the constructive dialogue to reach the best agreement for everyone. An adjustment plan is needed to ensure the competitiveness and the sustainability of employment in the future given the current context of profound transformation in the sector, marked by a tremendous competitive pressure, low interest rates, the accelerated adoption of digital channels by customers and the entrance of new digital players.