RBS accused of ‘massaging’ figures in row over closures
ROYAL Bank of Scotland bosses were yesterday accused of ‘massaging’ figures amid an ongoing row over branch closures – with fears the number of staff set to lose their jobs will double.
The Scottish parliament’s economy committee heard bank chiefs had deliberately misled the public and politicians over staffing and customer numbers in a bid to ease the blow following an announcement that 52 branches were to close.
A further ten remain under threat, with bosses claiming the cuts follow a shift away from high street banking to online and mobile services.
Lyn Turner, regional officer for union Unite Scotland, told the committee RBS bosses had used regular customer numbers to show a drop in branch use – but only counted those who used a single branch in 23 weeks out of 26. He said: ‘The information presented to me, let’s take Mallaig for instance... it has nine customers. In fact, it has 1,001 customers.
‘The nine customers at RBS are customers who come into the branch on a weekly basis.
‘So the evidence that was presented to me, of RBS in Mallaig only having nine customers and that’s why we’re closing, it is not true at all. The figures were massaged. This is a closure programme that did not have to happen. This is purely driven by profit.’
He also hit out over the number of RBS staff set to lose their jobs.
The majority taxpayer-owned bank has said more than 150 jobs will go. But Mr Turner claimed this is just the ‘full-time equivalent’ figure – with more than 320 people to be left out of work.
He said: ‘If you take the redundancy figures which the bank presented as 168, in fact it was 321. The bank’s 168 was full-time equivalent. The actual headcount was 321 job losses because if you have two part-time people, they were just being counted as one.’
Mr Turner added: ‘If you con- tinue to reduce the branch network, people will go to the next RBS branch, then the next. People are actually queuing out the door at lunchtimes at RBS branches. They’ve not increased the staff in these branches, so staff aren’t getting their lunch.’
In 2015, the main high street banks signed up to a new protois
‘This is purely driven by profit’
col, later integrated into the Access to Banking Standard, aimed at ensuring customers are better informed about a branch closure and the reasons for it.
But Professor Cliff Beevers, a councillor in Juniper Green, Edinburgh, whose RBS branch closed, said: ‘The protocol is worthless, it just a piece of paper that allows the banks to pretend they are consulting with communities.’
Scottish Tory MP John Lamont said: ‘RBS will have further explaining to do. Throughout the Scottish Affairs Committee inquiry [at Westminster], RBS used dwindling customer numbers as an excuse for mass closures.
‘All MPs are being told by our constituents these branches are busy and well used. If these claims are true, the proposed closures will need to be revisited as the decision may have been based on a foundation of lies.’
RBS said the closures are due to the usage of branches in Scotland falling by 44 per cent since 2011.
A spokesman added: ‘We provide our customers with more ways to bank than ever before. Customers can choose from a range of options to suit their needs.’