NatWest 'cutting 600 jobs and closing 32 branches'

NatWest bank is axing more than 600 jobs in its retail division in England as it shuts 32 branches, trade union Unite said.

About 200 roles will be lost in London and the South East and almost 400 more will be cut in the Midlands, East and the North, the union said.

It added that in addition to 32 planned branch closures, more than 200 branches were also seeing their opening hours reduced.

A spokesman for NatWest said the cuts were driven by changes in the market, with a growing number of customers turning to online portals instead of branches.

"Where there are job cuts this is clearly difficult news for staff affected by these changes. We are doing everything we can to support them, including seeking redeployment opportunities wherever possible and ensuring that compulsory redundancies are kept to a minimum," they added.