Hundreds of jobs at risk as RBS closes branches

The Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest are planning branch closures, putting Yorkshire banking jobs at risk.

Sites earmarked for closure include Adel Leeds, Bingley, Bradford, Settle, Haxby York, Otley, Selby, Knaresborough and Tadcaster.

In total some 925 staff will be affected at 128 branches, with 472 full-time equivalent jobs at risk, according to union Unite.

These closures are additional to the 86 branch closures announced last year.

The union expressed anger over the closures.

Unite acting general secretary Gail Cartmail said: “The RBS Group is turning its back on the communities that have been the foundation of its business for generations. That’s bad news for our members who now have to live with the threat of redundancy – and it’s bad news for customers and businesses.

“Banks have a duty to the wider community and that is especially the case for banks like RBS that have large taxpayer-owned shareholdings.

“People like the face-to-face contact that having a physical presence in the high street provides. Pensioners, people with mobility issues, and those without internet access are being particularly hard-hit – especially in rural areas. Small businesses are also badly affected – especially those that rely on cash-handling.

“It’s time for banking regulators and government to intervene, to force banks to maintain an adequate network that properly serves communities across the UK.”

RBS said that online and mobile transactions had increased to the point where branches were becoming redundant.