Press Release 81 Date 14.12.99

Subject: Update on the appeal to Bradford & Bingley staff at Leamington Spa due to be made redundant to help SOBS stop these redundancies and the loss of any other Bradford & Bingley jobs -275 jobs are being axed in preparation for conversion of the society to a bank 1)The anonymous telephone calls started soon after widespread coverage in the Leamington Spa area of the plan to save the 275 jobs. In the second anonymous call -in quick succession- a person who refused to give his name claimed to be an ordinary member of staff and said that “they were shocked that SOBS was trying to save their jobs. The caller went on to say that “We are all looking forward to looking for new work!” Bob Goodall asked him if he was in fact a member of the mangement team and again asked him if he would like to give his name -in confidence. The anonymous caller again refused and said “I am not one of the managers, and I promise you I never lie.” 2) More reliable calls from staff say that morale at Leamington Spa is “rock bottom” . A woman employee who telephoned Bob Goodall said she believed that Christopher Rodrigues, chief executive of Bradford & Bingley was “nothing better than an axe man.” The employee reports Rodrigues said “with a broad grin on his face that they were all going to be sacked -and then invited them to tuck into tea and cakes afterwards”. “Some of us were in tears”. She adds “We (the employees at Leamington Spa) were led like sheep to the slaughter” 3) Some employees are too scared to support SOBS Some employees are worried about signing the resolutions. And some calls are coming in on behalf of “other people” who we believe to be Bradford & Bingley Employees.

Please! as a journalist could you ask Bradford & Bingley to remove this “climate of fear” and clearly tell their employees that if they are members of the society they are perfectly entitled to privately endorse our resolutions. On this point Bob Goodall is writing to Leamington Spa employees to assure them that if they are also a member of the society they do not have “any less rights than any other member, and have the perfect right to privately endorse the resolutions.” Speak to the union!! In his letter Bob Goodall urges employees to “first seek Independent impartial guidance” from their union on their rights as members -and then to contact him for a copy of the resolutions. 4) Bob Goodall says that employees (and other members of Bradford & Bingley) should either write to him at: 8 Belmont Court, Belmont Hill, St Albans, Herts AL1 1RB or telephone him on 01727 847 370 for a copy of the resolutions. (Please feel free to publish or broadcast the address or telephone number) Press Release by Bob Goodall co-ordinator “Save Our Building Societies” campaign tel 01727 847 370 (24hrs)