440 jobs to go as RBS closes site

(REUTERS)

Union leaders expressed dismay today after the Royal Bank of Scotland announced the closure of one of its sites, with the loss of 440 jobs.

The bank, which is is more than 80% owned by the taxpayer, said the cuts were part of 3,000 job losses announced last year.

Unite urged the bank to reconsider the closure, warning that it will "devastate" the local area.

National officer David Fleming said: "Unite has expressed to the Royal Bank of Scotland its frustration about the bank's decision to close its site in Bristol and also make another 440 staff cuts from its customer support operations.

"The Aztec West site is the second site closure announced by RBS in the South West, as the Plymouth site is also closing.

"These cuts are part of the strategic review which RBS announced in September 2010 where 3,500 roles will be cut. Today, staff learn the reality of what this means for them and their families.

"RBS must reconsider the closure of the Bristol site and find alternative employment to prevent the devastation that this will cause the local community."

The job losses were announced just hours before Chancellor George Osborne presented the Government's Autumn Statement to Parliament.

An RBS spokesman said: "We announced last year that we would be reducing the number of centres we operate from, and that regrettably this would lead to job losses.

"We identified the sites that would close over the next two years and committed to giving our employees 12 months' notice of the closures."

PA