Bank staff stage strike action

Workers picketed the bank's headquarters in Glasgow

Staff at the Royal Bank of Scotland have taken strike action in protest at a decision to open branches on a Scottish bank holiday.

Finance union Unifi balloted its members last month on whether to stage industrial action over their New Year break.

It said that a majority of staff voted to stay at home rather than turn up for work on 2 January.

It is a Scottish bank which has a problem with a Scottish bank holiday

Union official Andy Colognori

And a group of about a dozen workers staged a demonstration outside the bank's headquarters in West George Street, Glasgow, on Wednesday.

But the bank dismissed the action as a "damp squib" and said there had not been any disruption to services.

The Committee of Scottish Clearing Banks decided five years ago to do away with the traditional 2 January bank holiday, offering employees an extra day off around Easter instead.

This move met with protest from staff who claimed that the step was nonsensical.

The Bank of Scotland and the Clydesdale Bank decided to remain closed on 2 January this year.

'Damp squib'

But the Royal Bank did not follow suit, although it did agree to have fewer branches trading. More than 100 - a third of the total - were open for reduced opening hours of 1100 to 1530 GMT.

A Royal Bank spokeswoman said: "As expected, we had more than enough volunteers, all the branches are open and they are serving a steady stream of customers.

"We are delighted with the support they have given and would once again like to thank all those who volunteered for work today.

"There are perhaps lessons there for those people out of our 13,500 staff who are on strike. It is a complete damp squib."

Unifi said there was a tradition of a two-day holiday at New Year in Scotland and claimed there was a lot of resentment among staff because this was not being recognised by the Royal Bank.

We had more than enough volunteers, all the branches are open and they are serving a steady stream of customers

Royal Bank of Scotland spokesman

Union official Andy Colognori said: "It is a Scottish bank which has a problem with a Scottish bank holiday."

He added: "We don't have a problem with people being paid premium rates or given days in lieu to work, but the bank is trying to insist it is just a normal day."

Union spokesman Rob MacGregor also claimed there was anecdotal evidence that some staff had been instructed to work on Wednesday, despite assurances that volunteers would be staffing branches.