Royal Bank of Scotland to close office in Plymouth at cost of 112 jobs
MORE than 100 jobs are likely to be lost in Plymouth after the Royal Bank of Scotland announced the closure of its St Andrew's Cross building.
The centre, which houses administration and IT staff, will shut in two years' time under plans to more than halve the number of the bank's administration centres across the UK.
-
A total of 3,500 jobs are under threat, including 112 in Plymouth, although the firm says it hopes to redeploy an unspecified number of workers at locations which are yet to be named.
Terry Keefe, who is the Plymouth regional officer for the Unite union, said: "With the job losses Plymouth has suffered already, anything like this will be hard to stomach.
"There's little good news around at the moment in Plymouth. This will be a further dent in people's confidence.
"The next thing will be a cutback in personal spending with concerns about job security.
"I just hope this is the last (bad news) we get for a while."
He said Unite would be locked in talks with RBS bosses over the next few weeks.
RBS, which is 83 per cent owned by the taxpayer, will close 12 of its business services centres, including Plymouth, and put three under review.
The bank said the latest jobs cull would start next year and run through to the end of 2012.
The blow comes just a week after RBS revealed that 14 of its 27 offices in the Churchill and Direct Line insurance arm were being axed.
It also comes on top of 9,000 redundancies RBS announced last year, of which 4,500 were in the UK.
Mr Keefe said: "Being a mainly Government-sponsored bank, it's not the best of moves."
All the latest 3,500 job cuts will affect the bank's UK administration workforce. The business services division previously employed about 45,000 globally.
The bank will retain ten back-office centres, but in addition to Plymouth, it will also close centres in Leeds, Bolton, Enfield, Harrogate, Bristol, Borehamwood, Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Telford, Bradford and Norwich.
RBS said about a third of the job cuts came as a direct result of the sale of 318 branches to Santander, which it was ordered to offload by the European Commission.
An RBS spokesman said: "Having to cut jobs is the most difficult part of our work to rebuild RBS and repay taxpayers for their support. We continue to make efficiencies across our business and adjust our plans in line with the divestments we have been required to make by the EU.
"We will do all we can to support our staff, offer redeployment opportunities wherever possible and keep compulsory redundancies to an absolute minimum."
15 Comments
View all
by Bobbybiscuit, Plymouth
Saturday, September 04 2010, 2:36PM
“I agree with Robert Ball 100%. Nothing more to add.”
by robert Ball, Glasgow
Saturday, September 04 2010, 11:28AM
“Ian, One thing that is so wrong with UK Plc is double standards. The government go on about wanting to help Business! i operate 750 000 sq ft warehousing for major Blue chip companies and deal with Tarmac, ASDA etc etc, In scotland you do not pay Rates on empty Warehouse space, But in England you DO! i know of large Warehouse sheds being pulled down in England to save on Rates, Crazy also up here ALL hospitals are FREE parking, Too many quangos, Plymouth must must get its infrastructure right, South of Exeter is seems to be a forgotten region.Look at the continual investment in M4 Corridor. Let me predict Dockyard will run down very soon, Wrigleys will shut! and many public service jobs will go, Plymouth has MISSED the Boat! Hate to say it.
Robert Ball
Managing Director
Total Logistics (Scotland) Ltd
Glasgow”
by Mick, Barbican
Saturday, September 04 2010, 4:21AM
“I'm not an RSB customer, but if I was I'd be down there in a flash to withdraw all my lolly while I still can..;)”
by Stuart, Plymouth
Friday, September 03 2010, 8:44PM
“If they even think about knocking down this building, I will personally chain myself to it to ensure that doesn't happen! It would be madness to even think such a thing, it would be just as bad as committing a crime. It seems no one has learnt lessons from the 60's, when most Victorian buildings that survived the war were pulled down. Its a lack of sight that serves these people with such idea's, and I for one will do my upmost to see this building is retained. compared to the rest of plymouth, this is a building which has outstanding features and architectural merit, something which lacks in the recent 'modern' developments.”
by Martin, Mutley
Friday, September 03 2010, 7:24PM
“Although its already listed it is an awful looking place and needs demolition. Perfect spot for another travelodge.”
by ian, Plymouth
Friday, September 03 2010, 6:18PM
“@Rob Ball Scotland, no mention in this article of cuts in Scotland, I think you`ll agree only half the story. AS for the rest of your post! Yeah you are right on there. Don`t blame you for staying put.
Regards..”
by robert Ball, Glasgow
Friday, September 03 2010, 5:01PM
“Ian get your facts right RBS are cutting back up here big time, Standard life has just shed 500 jobs up here, Direct line office in Glasgow closing! owned by RBS, As an ex Plymouth lad its a shame but you not well placed with your Poor transport links and Reactive Government agencies etc. Between Edinburgh and Glasgow is the M8 very easy to get around, You try driving across Plymouth will take longer!”
by SteveT, Torbay
Friday, September 03 2010, 1:36PM
“This is a result of an order from the EU, I bet the French or Germans wouldn't bend down and roll over so quick, who actually is running this Country? and the jobs are NOT being cut across the UK, there being cut across England, non are going in Scotland...yet more discrimination...”
by Dave, Mutley
Friday, September 03 2010, 1:25PM
“@RBS Customer - I've been with them since they were William's Deacons (and still have the folders for my statements).
They've changed owners several times in the 40+ years, but the service has remained the same.
I'm NOT closing my account in a knee-jerk reaction about what might happen to service, but if standers decline then I'll walk.
@Jenny - you can't ask RBS to transfer your account to Barclays, you have to open a Barclays on and get them to transfer your RBS one over. Anyway Barclays has Indian call centres too, moved them over from 2005, unless you're rich, in which case you still get routed to a UK one.”
by Jenny, Plymouth
Friday, September 03 2010, 10:45AM
“Strange the Taxpayer owns 80% of RBS andVince Cable is letting them move 500 Jobs to India and the USA. What a weak Government.
I think we taxpayer should ask for ALL our money back now with interest,Close RBS Down all these too big to fail Banks need to close now and allow smaller Banks to emerge which will give better competition, and make the Top managers redudundant with no payout sorry you under performed got us into this mess and wasted savers money and bought bad debts/mortgage accounts from America, so here is your P45 on your bikes. Why is it always frontline staff who go first, the very people who are needed, those who work in back office do most of the work not the Managers. I think all RBS Customers should vote with their feet and change to another Bank. I have just wrote my letter informing them I wish to close my account, please transfer my money to Barclays.”