Rabobank, the cooperative bank which will soon list on the Amsterdam stock exchange, is to cut up to 2,000 jobs at its Utrecht headquarters.

The bank has a workforce of some 11,500 people in Utrecht who provide support to local bank branches.

The job losses are part of plans to cut costs by €220m over two years and come on top of the 8,000 positions which will go at local branches where the network is also being streamlined.

Ralf Dekker, Rabobank Nederland board member who is leading the reorganisation, said in a statement: ‘I am convinced things can be done better, faster and smarter within the centralised organisation at lower costs.’

The bank’s activities in the Netherlands are being merged into Rabobank International which will lead to further cost reductions and fits in with the aim of creating a ‘compact and efficient Rabobank organisation’.