NORTHERN Rock is set to shed staff in the region through natural turnover and a recruitment freeze, it emerged today.
The mortgage lender stressed that there would be no compulsory or voluntary redundanices, but said its workforce of around 6,000 staff would shrink slightly over the coming months.
The plc, which employs thousands of staff at its headquarters in Gosforth, Newcastle, and offices in Doxford, Sunderland, plans to open a £60m complex at Rainton Bridge, Wearside, to house some 3,500 staff.
Chief executive Adam Applegarth yesterday stressed that the plans for Rainton Bridge, Sunderland, will go ahead, but are likely to take longer than first anticipated.
"What we are going to do hasn't changed... the pace of what we are going to do has," he said.
He said the freeze on recruitment would be a short term measure.
"Once we are through the storm, we will come back and start growing the company again and start recruiting."
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