New Bank. Already went around to 1,300 workers, including international operations – the Observer

The president of the New Bank said on Thursday that including the international operations, has already moved about 1,300 workers of the bank, so that the objectives of the 2017 reduction of employees are met, and that by December there will only be "leaving normal".

In an interview to Lusa, after the bank has presented today loss of 359 million euros up to September, an improvement of 14.3% over the same period, António Ramalho said that, "for the purposes of obtaining the results in" costs, its directors decided "to anticipate for September the conclusion of its restructuring programme already announced for the end of the year."

In terms of workers, the New Bank announced today in a statement to the Commission for the Securities Market (CMVM) that, in the first nine months of the year, came off of the bench 1.062 workers, which compares with the goal of a reduction of 1,000 people in total in the year 2016.

Already including the international operations, said António Ramalho to Lusa, the number of outputs up to 1,300 people:

Here we put the process of restructuring with the national operations. If we collect the international operations, we would be talking about a global exit of 1,300 people, therefore, largely achieved all of the goals by the end of 2017,” he said.

The outputs of workers this year from the New Bank took place through early retirement, termination by mutual agreement and there was still a process of collective dismissal which involved about 50 people.

As to the commercial network, the New Bank account to get to the end of 2016 with 540 agencies, against the 550 envisaged.

These reductions in the structure contributed to the decrease this year of operating costs at eur 145 million, very close to the reduction of 150 million euros foreseen for December, according to the institution.

Citing these data, the president of the New Bank stated that "all of the goals are already achieved," noting that this allows for the "concentration on core business", and that until the end of 2016 "only [there will be] the [outputs] normal" workers.

Now about whether there will be a new exit process of employees in 2017 if it is not found a buyer for the New Bank until the end of 2016, António Ramalho was perentório and said that "this question or if it places".

On the sale of the entity that directs, and is a result of the resolution of the ex-Banco Espírito Santo (BES), António Ramalho says that the New Bank has fulfilled the part that was up to "inform potential buyers up to the last day of November 04, date by which interested parties could submit final proposals.

There is a time to inform potential buyers and there is a time to decide about them. Let’s now wait for that time to be exercised with all the serenity, but inside of that is the planned programme," he added.

In the results this Thursday presented to the market, the New Bank explained that it was 762,6 million euros of impairments, more 298,3 million euros compared to the same period in 2015, these provisions mainly for credit (425,8 million euros), but also 113.7 million to face potential losses with the securities and 110.6 million for restructuring costs, which include according to António Ramalho "the closure costs of buildings and reduction of services."

Asked about how much the New Bank has spent with the departure of staff, the president of the institution said that this exercise will be done "only at the end of the year", but said that is within the expected and that there is "no additional cost".

After last year have failed the first sale process, the New Bank negotiated a restructuring plan with the European Commission which implies the reduction of the structure, cutting costs, and sales units abroad.