Fears have been raised for the future of jobs at Fife’s Sainsbury’s Bank contact centre after the firm announced “the majority” of staff have entered a period of consultation.
The supermarket giant’s banking wing was officially handed over to NatWest on May 1 after a deal was signed last year between the two.
NatWest agreed to acquire certain retail banking assets and liabilities of Sainsbury’s Bank, including its outstanding credit card, unsecured personal loans and savings accounts.
The contact centre in Fife, employing dozens of staff, is located at Caledonia House in Rosyth.
SNP Cowdenbeath MSP Annabelle Ewing said the company’s wording that “the majority” of workers were in a “period of consultation” was a “euphemistic” way of saying they were “earmarked for redundancy”.
And she has called for both Sainsbury’s Bank and NatWest to do “everything possible” to secure the future of the site.
Fears for jobs at Rosyth’s Sainsbury’s Bank
Sainsbury’s Bank contact centre was opened in 2016, initially employing around 125 staff but with plans to bring on up to 300 at its site.
Ms Ewing said: “I have been informed that ‘the majority’ of Sainsbury Bank employees at the contact centre in Rosyth have been told that they will now ‘enter a period of consultation’.
“That is a very euphemistic way of saying that they have been earmarked for redundancy following the transfer of Sainsbury’s banking business to NatWest.
“I hope that the ongoing engagement with the staff involved will see a bit more clarity than that and that both Sainsbury’s and NatWest will do everything possible to ensure continuity of employment for the staff at Rosyth, whether that is within one or other of the businesses, or with some other employer.”
Sainsbury’s Bank to ‘support’ staff
A Sainsbury’s Bank spokesperson said: “Following the recently announced legal transfer of our credit card, savings and loans to NatWest, we’ve shared proposals with colleagues who support these products with information on what this means for them.
“There are no immediate changes for our customers or our colleagues and we continue to update regularly.
“Colleagues will have access to a wide range of support during this period.”
The Courier has contacted NatWest for comment regarding the site’s future.
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