Your issues debated

Pay & grading

Delegates made it clear that there’s plenty of work to do on pay and grading in LBG and TSB.

Anthony Hua – a website delivery manager and Accord Rep in TSB – pressed the case for reward options for long serving colleagues at the top of their pay range. He made the point that such colleagues were in demand, often subject matter experts with a wealth of knowledge and expertise but don’t always feel valued. Particularly when a new employee joined the bank on an increased starting salary.

Kathy Littler from Kings Lynn branch raised the issue of pay rates for Grade A staff in branches who were expected to take on more and more complex work without any increase in pay.

Kathy was supported by other speakers – Steven Pratt who pressed for a definitive date to conclude the review of Grade A and B roles across every division and Jane Bunting from Leeds Lovell Park who had worked in branches and contact centres and felt that Grade A colleagues got all the flack but none of the recognition.

In support, Marie Crichton said she was genuinely concerned for the mental wellbeing of her Grade A colleagues who needed more support as well as the right level of pay for the work they were expected to do.

The debate was widened by Andrew Challenor – Accord’s Area Rep for London West – who made the point that LBG’s branch structure needed a complete overhaul to get the right people, at the right grades, with the right pay in the right place across the entire network.

But Emma Bennett from Grantham branch added a note of caution. She was concerned that the outputs of any review could end up downgrading roles and branches.

Finally, Emma Giblin from Rhyl branch and Steven Pratt from Customer Contact Belfast put forward reasons why LBG should conduct a full review of its grading structure, arguing that work previously carried out at a higher level was being passed off to lower grades without any increase in pay and benefits. Picking off small business areas for review was adding to the feeling of unfairness by those working in areas where no review had taken place.

Pay & cost of living

Looking back over the last 2 years of unprecedented crises, Neil Taylor who works in Mortgages in Sheffield, made the case for employers to consider current and predicted future rates of inflation when reviewing pay.

Pointing out the current cost of living crisis exacerbated by Brexit, the pandemic, and the war in Ukraine, he referred to the fact that inflation had reached 9% - so much higher than the average pay rise in both banks.  He called for a decent wage to maintain standards of living both now and in the future.

Clarification was sought by delegate, Sam Lane, who questioned whether Neil was suggesting a pay rise to reflect the current rate of inflation or one that was equal to the rate of inflation at the time of review.

In his right of reply, Neil confirmed that the motion sought future-proofed pay rises until the next review. He said it was only right that employers properly supported their number one asset – their people.

Returning to the cost-of-living crisis, Michelle White who works in TSB’s telephone banking business, said it was scandalous that people were facing a heat or eat dilemma today. She spoke on a motion urging LBG and TSB to look at a range of options to support staff who were not immune from the crisis. She was unanimously supported by all voting delegates.