British payments glitch at HSBC leaves thousands without wages

LONDON, Aug 28 (Reuters) - HSBC reported a computer glitch on Friday which it said prevented some of its British business customers from making payments, leaving thousands of workers without wages ahead of a three-day weekend.

The problem affected outgoing payments being made by some businesses that bank with HSBC, making it impossible for them to pay staff.

Many Britons are scheduled to receive their monthly wages on Friday with a large number planning getaways to make the most of the final public holiday in Britain before Christmas.

"All I want to know is when will we get paid!?", an affected worker said on Twitter (Xetra: A1W6XZ - news) .

The bank said that it was working to fix the problem.

"We are aware that some customers are experiencing issues with expected payments today. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible," it said in a statement.

The systems meltdown is one of a number to have hit British banks, causing inconvenience for hundreds of thousands of customers.

Royal Bank of Scotland (LSE: RBS.L - news) has been the worst affected and has promised to invest in its technology to prevent future failures. (Reporting by Matt Scuffham; Editing by Jan Lopatka)