"Raika dispute" resolved

Branch closures, but ATMs remain

At least the cash supply in the district of Lilienfeld is secure - for the time being.

(Bild: zVg)

Despite the closure of seven Raika branches, the region's cash supply is secure. Mayors have now reached an agreement with the bank and explain why this will save the municipalities 875,000 euros.

There was a great deal of uproar when Raiffeisen announced the closure of seven branches in the districts of St. Pölten and Lilienfeld at the beginning of March. As reported, the mayors of the affected municipalities - St. Aegyd, Hohenberg, Türnitz, Traisen, St. Veit, Kleinzell and St. Georgen - mobilized together against the cutbacks. They were particularly concerned about the supply of cash to citizens. They used protest notes to demand a rethink from the Group and threatened to close all public accounts.

The ATMs in the district of Lilienfeld have been secured for the next five years. This has now been announced by the mayors together with Raika.

(Bild: zVg)

Initial successes, closures postponed
The Hohenberg and Kleinzell locations will close as planned on June 30th, St. Aegyd, Türnitz and Traisen only after the completion of a new "competence center" in Lilienfeld. The branches in St. Veit and St. Georgen, on the other hand, will be converted into self-service branches in 2026, it was reported.

However, negotiations continued behind the scenes, the result of which the "Mayors' Alliance" is now selling as a great success. Despite the closure plans, the ATMs in the district of Lilienfeld will remain part of the Raika network for five years. What's more, the bank will cover the full costs of operation. "This will save the municipalities a total of 875,000 euros," say Christian Fischer (SPÖ) from St. Veit an der Gölsen and Reinhard Hagen (ÖVP) from Kleinzell. And they even managed to wring a word of thanks from Raiffeisen: "Constructive and successful cooperation" had shown how "effective joint commitment to the common good can be". Of course, that sounded very different a few months ago.