1600 jobs to go in closure of NU's broker division

Aviva, the parent group behind Norwich Union, says it will close over 240 high street HHH offices and its Bristol head office, as well as sell the commercial insurance operation and transfer all subsequent insurance business to Norwich Union Direct. NU’s move is ahead of general insurance becoming an FSA-regulated business in January 2005 and in the wake of customer preference for internet and telephone-based sales, suggests NU Insurance’s chief executive Patrick Snowball. Changes to the company structure will prompt around 1200 compulsory redundancies, however, at least 400 staff wil...