Around 150 West Yorkshire bank call centre workers have had an early Christmas present after having their jobs secured.

And Bradford will benefit when they transfer from Leeds to one of Santander bank’s ‘super-sites’ in the city where around 1,200 call centre staff work.

The Communication Workers Union welcomed the decision by Spanish banking giant Santander to transfer Alliance & Leicester call centre staff who had feared for their jobs following the planned closure of a call centre at Merrion Court, Leeds.

Not only have the employees been retained, but they will get financial assistance towards the extra cost of travelling to their new call centre base on Nelson Street, Bradford, by the city’s travel interchange.

The move will take place in February.

A CWU spokesman said the union had reached agreement with the bank over the transfer, bringing an end to the uncertainty which staff have experienced over jobs and described the deal as “an early Christmas present”.

Nigel Cotgrove, CWU national officer, said: “Moving the A&L work to the Santander site in Bradford will secure 150 contact centre jobs and bring to an end the uncertainty over the future of the Leeds operation.

“However, we are aware that this move will cause difficulties for some members and so we have ensured that the bank will be sympathetic to requests to change attendance patterns to deal with travel problems or caring commitments.

“The bank will also pay additional travel costs for up to three years.”

A Santander spokesman said the Leeds call centre jobs had never been at risk and the plans had always been to move them to Bradford. Although staff would move in February they would make familiarisation visits to Bradford before then.

The transfer was part of a rationalisation of premises after Santander swallowed up Abbey, A&L and Bradford & Bingley.

Bradford remained one of the group’s core ‘super-sites’ along with Milton Keynes and Leicester.

And Santander was committed to developing its operations in the city.

Alliance & Leicester has been owned by Spanish bank Santander since 2008.

Santander also owns the savings business and branch network of Bradford & Bingley which it bought for £612m when the B&B mortgage business, still based at Crossflatts, was nationalised during the banking crisis in September, 2008.

The Bradford & Bingley, Alliance & Leicester and Abbey brand names are to disappear from the high street next year, with all three operations being rebranded as Santander.