Staffing challenges are exacerbating NatWest's much publicised IT woes, according to Unite. The union, which represents staff at RBS, has hit out at the Group for cutting the workforce, imposing pay cuts and offshoring IT jobs to India.

It has blasted 30,000 job losses at the bank and the extensive outsourcing of functions and noted that, without the efforts of staff members, "the poor management decisions which led to the problems over the last week would be ongoing for some time."

David Fleming, Unite national officer, comments: “It is the workforce at Royal Bank of Scotland who are working around the clock to resolve the problems customers are facing. Yet RBS management has slashed 30,000 staff, imposed a pay cut and decimated the pensions of those dedicated staff who are now working hard to resolve the problems."

“Serious questions must be asked as to why constant job cuts are being made when there are clearly serious issues which need addressing by management. Customers and staff have the right to expect more from their bank," he adds. “Unite, on behalf of the staff who have given up their evenings and weekend to address the problems, will demand answers as to why staffing levels are being cut at a time of considerable problems within the bank.”

Meanwhile, NatWest has announced that 1,200 branches will open late from 25 - 29 June as it looks to clear the huge backlog of payments which came about from last week's IT meltdown. The cause is believed to be a faulty update to its batch scheduling software, CA 7 Workload Automation, supplied by CA Technologies

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