The BNP Paribas bank plans to cut 921 jobs in France within its subsidiary dedicated to consumer credit, BNP Paribas Personal Finance, a union source said on Tuesday.
Of these 921 job cuts, a “maximum” of 690 will be able to benefit from a voluntary departure plan, specifies the same source.
714 deletions will occur in so-called functional services (finance, IT, marketing) and 202 in operational services (call centers, Cofinoga agencies, etc.).
These figures have not been confirmed at this stage by management.
These job cuts are made public when the bank announced a few hours earlier that it had recorded a record net profit of just over 10 billion euros in 2022.
“No forced departure”, assures the bank
"These deletions do not take into account transfers of activities (and personnel) in the BNPP group, nor the natural turnover provided for in the strategic plan (-320 positions from 2023 to 2025)", argues a union source. .
There will be no forced departure, then specified the bank, which presented Tuesday to its unions the outlines of the voluntary departure plan envisaged within the entity dedicated to consumer credit in France, negatively affected by the return of inflation.
"It's a profession that has a great future" but which is suffering the consequences of "the very sudden rise in rates" and must therefore "adapt", reacted on BFM Business the deputy general manager Thierry Laborde.
We “will find elements of development in the future”, he further specified, mentioning in particular “10 billion (euros) in assets by 2025″ in “the automotive transition”.
“But, until then, it is necessary (that this profession) manages its adaptation, so there is a voluntary departure plan which is being negotiated with the social partners”, he continued.
A “refocusing” of activities?
A four-month period of consultation with employee representative bodies now begins.
“Strategic reflections” about a “refocusing of our activities and the adaptation of our operational model” had already been presented to the social partners before Christmas, specified the bank on January 6.
The in-store consumer credit business had already suffered heavily from confinements during the Covid-19 pandemic.
And the postponement of the purchase of certain goods on the internet does not necessarily benefit the historical players in this profession, competed by start-p like Alma or Younited.
The repayment capacity of borrowers, whose budgets are increasingly tight due to rising prices, may also call for banks to be cautious in this market.
