Job cuts weakened RBS’ banking systems

WORKERS UNION Unite has accused the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) of sacrificing the reliability of its systems by making cutting jobs.

The criticism comes as the bank faces up to a week's worth of payment problems, and accuses it of putting cost cutting ahead of service.

Unite says RBS should never have let so many workers go and should be thankful for the ones that it has left.

"It is the workforce at Royal Bank of Scotland who are working around the clock to resolve the problems customers are facing. Yet RBS management has slashed 30,000 staff, imposed a pay cut and decimated the pensions of those dedicated staff who are now working hard to resolve the problems," said Unite national officer David Fleming in a statement.

Fleming said that there are serious issues at the firm that need addressing, and questioned the wisdom of dismissing so many employees.

"Serious questions must be asked as to why constant job cuts are being made when there are clearly serious issues which need addressing by management. Customers and staff have the right to expect more from their bank," he added.

"Unite, on behalf of the staff who have given up their evenings and weekend to address the problems, will demand answers as to why staffing levels are being cut at a time of considerable problems within the bank." µ