Royal Bank chief executive makes public apology for outsourcing jobs

TORONTO – The Royal Bank is making a public apology to the workers who are being affected by the bank’s outsourcing arrangement with a foreign company.

Chief executive Gord Nixon says in a letter to be published in newspapers that RBC should have been more sensitive and helpful to them.

He repeated assurances that all of them — about 45 people by most reports — will be offered comparable job opportunities within the bank.

Nixon says Royal (TSX:RY) is also reviewing its supplier arrangements and policies to balance RBC’s desire to be a successful business and a “leading corporate citizen.”

Nixon’s public apology follows a backlash against the bank after some of its Canadian information technology workers complained they were being replaced by foreign workers working for a company contracted by RBC.

IGate brought its own employees into Canada on temporary foreign worker visas so they could be trained at RBC branches for the services they’ll be providing to the bank.