Royal Bank of Scotland Faces Staff Protest Over Holiday Closures

A group of around a dozen employees staged a demonstration outside the Royal Bank of Scotland's headquarters in Glasgow, calling for the bank to remain closed on traditional Scottish Bank Holidays. The move comes after the bank decided to open one third of its branches across Scotland on January 2, a Bank Holiday in Scotland, despite staff opposition. The finance union Unifi has been at odds with the bank over pay awards, with long-standing staff members receiving no pay increases despite the bank's Pounds 4.4 billion profit.

Key Takeaways:

• The Royal Bank of Scotland faced a staff protest over its decision to open branches on a traditional Scottish Bank Holiday.
• Unifi, the finance union, claimed that the majority of its members voted to stay at home on January 2, but the bank decided to open one third of its branches across Scotland.
• The bank's decision was criticized by Unifi, with spokesman Rob MacGregor accusing the bank of ignoring staff and disregarding Scotland's distinctive holidays.
• The bank made a Pounds 4.4 billion profit, while long-standing staff members received no pay increases, leading to tensions between the bank and the unions.
• The demonstration outside the head office in West George Street in Glasgow was the culmination of months of tension between the bank and unions over pay awards.
• The bank's decision to open branches on January 2 was seen as a break with tradition and an "Anglicisation" of Scottish Bank Holidays.

Statistics:

• Pounds 4.4 billion: The Royal Bank of Scotland's reported profit.
• 1/3: The proportion of branches that opened across Scotland on January 2.
• 12: The number of staff who staged a demonstration outside the head office in Glasgow.

Sources:

• The Times, Copyright (C) 2002
• Unifi
• Rob MacGregor, Unifi spokesman
• The Royal Bank of Scotland