Union claims RBS to slash 900 UK workers

The Unite union has said that the still 73 per cent state-owned bank plans to cut 40 per cent of its permanent IT staff, equating to 650 jobs, plus 230 contractors.

Responding to the reports, Edinburgh headquartered RBS confirmed that it had “shared a direction of travel with Unite which is subject to change”, but that there has been no consultation about specific job losses.

Unite national officer Rob MacGregor said: “RBS is continuing with its savage jobs culling program with today’s announcement of a 40 per cent cut in IT staff, totalling nearly 900 staff.

“The decade of slashing jobs has done nothing to boost morale, increase consumer confidence or improve the bank’s performance.”

RBS said: “Inevitably as RBS becomes a simpler, smaller bank focused on the UK and Ireland, our technology function will undergo reorganisation and will reduce over time.

“Our proposed plans are designed to reduce the number of contractors we employ and strengthen our permanent workforce and while we are downsizing in London, we are reinvesting in other UK hubs.”