Further 2018 branch closures

Branch Closures Campaign Archive

In early 2018 NatWest Group, then known as RBS Group, published its annual report for 2017 showing the first profit since the 2008 global financial crisis. Shortly thereafter, they announced their first shareholder dividend since the crash.

It was in this context of returning stability and profitability that the bank launched its most savage and unjustified series of branch closures. The scale was unprecedented with 259 closures announced in December 2017, a further 162 in May 2018 and with this announcement, another 54 closures.

This newsletter was first published in September 2018.

RBS England & Wales Branches ‘Decimated’

  • Aggressive Closure Plan continues
  • RBS branch network customers abandoned
  • 340 more jobs are to be lost

The bank has announced plans to close even more of its RBS branches in England & Wales (beyond the 162 closures it announced in April) with a further 54 to close by the end of January 2019. 

This latest round of cuts will reduce the RBS brand footprint to just 51 sites, with the North West region yet again disproportionately impacted.  Only 10 offices are set to remain in the North West post January 2019. North West England, the traditional heartland of Williams & Glyn, proudly boasted 104 branches at the start of 2018. These latest cuts mean that almost half the closures announced nationally have come in that one region only.

Unite anger at ‘disgraceful’ further branch closures

This announcement heaps further misery on communities across England & Wales that have already seen the demise of local banking services as branches that were signposted by the bank earlier this year as an alternative for customers whose branches were closing, now suffering a similar fate.

Unite questioned the bank on its rationale only to be told the same old story that factors such as capacity in NatWest branches, proximity of post offices and the increased take up of digital banking were behind much of their justification for the closure programme.

The bank tried to claim that it has sought to retain a presence where it has a legacy in the community when considering whether some branches would close or not – which is at odds with its position in the North West region.

This latest announcement is yet another bitter pill for loyal, hardworking members of staff to swallow as there will be a further headcount reduction of circa 336 in this instance alone. 

The bank intends to open a targeted Voluntary Redundancy register whilst also seeking individual preferences as to work location for all staff in RBS branches in England and Wales. However, with such a dramatic reduction in job numbers, securing alternative employment for those who wish to stay with RBS becomes increasingly difficult.

It is also the bank’s intention to align roles across NatWest and RBS branches, introducing a common approach including training and the requirement to ‘upskill’ and acquire Personal Banker status. The bank refused to confirm that any member of staff who is unable or unwilling to complete the journey would not be performance managed in due course. CAs in RBS will automatically become Senior Personal Bankers.

Around 280 individuals impacted by the previous round of closures are presently seeking redeployment and the bank proposes to seek confirmation from them as to whether they wish to be considered for roles going forward and, if so, in which location. 

Additionally, some temporary TechXpert secondments will be created to support closing branches.  The bank has also stated that this is the conclusion of the review of its branch network until at least 2020.

Unite comment

The aggressive programme of closing branches across the bank is something that Unite has vigorously opposed from the outset and will continue to do so.

The recent announcement that the bank intends to resume paying dividends to shareholders, many of whom work for the organisation, is ironic in that the reduction in the branch footprint is purely a cost saving measure and that many of the staff whose hard work and dedication nursed the employer back to health are now quite literally paying for it with their livelihoods.

Contact Unite

Any Unite member impacted by the announcements covered in this newsletter should contact their local union representative in the first instance if they have any queries.

Unite members who still have questions can email rbsinfo@unitetheunion.org.

Not a member?

If you are not already a member of Unite you can join the trade union now to help protect future jobs within RBS.  You can join online at www.unitetheunion.org/join.

Further reading