Welcome and headline news: Issue 4 - November 2023 | Accord Magazine

Welcome from Ged

Welcome to the latest edition of our online magazine for members.

This edition kicks off with another stage in the vibrant democracy that’s at the heart of Accord and makes the union tick.

The processes have started for the election of the next President and Principal Executive Council members. Their term of office will run from the end of the biennial delegate conference in April 2024 in Glasgow through to our 2026 conference. See page 5 for more information.

The conference next April is the key event in the union’s calendar. It provides an opportunity for members, through their elected delegates, to review the union’s performance in the preceding two years and set our objectives for the next two. It’s the pinnacle of our democratic accountability and we hope you’ll take a keen interest whether you’re able to attend or not. See page 5 for more information.

These internal processes keep our union open, democratic and vibrant. I’m currently on a ‘mini-tour’ meeting Accord reps up and down the UK. It’s really invigorating to be able to engage with reps face to face and to discuss your concerns that they’re bringing to us. The depth and range of our impacts on members’ working lives are evident in the challenging Q&A sessions, which I enjoy immensely.

Since our last magazine, the biggest issue affecting our members in Lloyds Banking Group is the pay deal we’ve now committed to for 2024 and 2025. You can read more about it further down this page but I just want to say a big thank you to everybody who participated in the ballot. Nearly 80% in favour was a ringing endorsement of our work. Of course, I appreciate that there is still much to do. I’m currently working with TSB on its proposals for 2024 and we’ll publish details as soon as the talks are concluded.

The challenges on security of employment and creating the best possible lives at work for our members continue and I suspect that we’re heading into a busy period.

As always, our President, the Principal Executive Council members, all Accord’s staff and I will work tirelessly to protect and promote your employment interests.

So, as we get into what could be a tough winter, we’ll need your support. You can play a huge part by encouraging any of your colleagues who aren’t currently members of Accord or Unite to join us.

So, thanks for being a member of Accord but please think about what else you can do to help strengthen your union.

Enjoy the magazine and…if it’s not too early, I wish you and your loved ones peace, health and happiness as we move towards the end of the year.

Very best wishes

Ged

Someone sitting in a chair holding a phone reading Accord's pay news

Two-year pay deal agreed for 2024 and 2025

Accord and Unite have signed an unprecedented two-year pay deal with Lloyds Banking Group, following a ballot which showed solid support from members in all grades. The agreement will give members and their families more certainty about their incomes between now and 2026.

Providing certainty and security was an important consideration in the negotiations. Although the headline rate of inflation is now falling, we know that the cost of food and other products is still going up. So, in July, once the final parts of the 2023 pay deal had been implemented, we started thinking ahead. The April 2024 pay review seemed a long time off, with the prospect of a long winter in between.

In view of the ongoing economic challenges that members face, the unions asked LBG for an early start to discussions on reward for 2024. When the group announced its results for the first half of 2023, we sent in a joint claim and talks began.

The proposals that emerged were published on 5^th October 2023 and put to members in a consultative ballot run by Civica. Nearly 70% of Accord members voted in the ballot and almost four in five members voted yes.

A majority of members who voted in every grade were in favour of the deal and part-time workers were as likely to support as full-time workers. Members also responded positively across age groups and lengths of service.

However, the pay proposals apply to around 67,000 employees throughout Lloyds Banking Group, across virtually every role and every business area. No broad approach can pick up the pay concerns of every individual or address all the issues in specific businesses. We’re aware that some members have outstanding concerns and will continue to listen to those who voted against the deal, and to work towards satisfactory resolutions of their issues.

Ultimately, with this clear mandate from members, we were pleased to sign the two-year agreement with LBG. We believe the business responded positively to our pay claim and that the agreement builds on the progress we’ve made in recent years.

This agreement (including the £500 payment in December 2023) will increase average salaries for staff in Grade A by a further 14% by April 2025. And between March 2021 and April 2025, the minimum salary in LBG will have been increased by more than a third thanks to successive agreements with the unions. 

Pay offer headlines:

A minimum pay rise for a full-time member of staff of £1,500 (pro-rated for part time staff) effective from 1st April 2024
For staff up to and including grade E, 4% will be paid where 4% is more than £1,500  
For staff in grades F & G, a budget of 3.5% will be distributed by managerial discretion 
There’ll be no pay matrix so staff with salaries above their grade mid-points will not be disadvantaged
For staff above their pay range maxima, the awards will be paid as lump sums and not consolidated into salaries
The minimum salary from 1st April 2024 will be increased to £23,500 
An additional £500 payment is on offer for staff in grades A – D (pro-rated for part-time staff) and will be awarded in December 2023 if these proposals are accepted 
The same awards will be applied with effect from 1st April 2025 (but not the £500 December payment) 
The minimum salary from 1st April 2025 will be £25,000 
Pay ranges 2024 – the range mid-points will be increased as follows: Grade A 6.5%, Grade B & C 5%, other Grades 2%

Member feedback

The feedback from members that has been shared with LBG is summarised here:

Unhappiness that the ex-gratia payment of £500 in December 2023 will be pro-rated by working hours
The treatment of people on Universal Credit in relation to the ex-gratia payment
The £500 ex-gratia payment not being offered to Grade Es
The ongoing issues of grading and reward for grade A & B colleagues in branches
The position of long serving staff in grades A & B versus the salaries of new starters given the agreement to increase the new starter pay to £25k by 2025
The need to review pay and grade for branch managers in grade C
The need to review the Grade C pay and grades in contact centres where people have large numbers of direct reports
The need for pay progression in grades D and E
The factors to be considered by line managers for pay increases for grades F & G

If you have something to add, please contact [email protected].

Birkenhead Comets cheerleading team photo as bid winner — The Birkenhead Comets team

Accord helps Birkenhead cheerleaders get to the World Champs

Accord has donated £1,000 to a Merseyside cheerleading team to help them get to the World Championships in Florida next year.

Describing themselves as “a small club with huge dreams”, the Birkenhead Comets are a non-profit cheerleading squad, made up of 60 young athletes aged five to eighteen. For twelve years, the volunteer-run club has served the community of Birkenhead and the wider Merseyside area, providing skills and opportunities to young people from a diverse range of working-class backgrounds, including many from trade union families. Currently, their team also includes two children forced to flee the war in Ukraine.

In May, the Comets won a chance to represent the UK at the 2024 All Star World Championship in Orlando Florida. In an email to Accord, a coach said they were “absolutely floored” when the team qualified. She says it showed the girls the results of their hard work, and “drove home the message that anything is possible for them.”

However, the cost of the competition is prohibitive for many of the team’s families so now they’re raising funds to allow the girls to travel to Florida and represent Birkenhead. “We do not want participation to be limited by socio-economic background,” the fundraising page reads. “As the athletes earned their place by coming in the top three in a competition of over 150 other teams, we want to help in every way we can.”

The Comets’ story was highlighted to Ged and other members of the Accord delegation at TUC Congress in Liverpool. The union was proud to be able to support a local cause and give this group of young people the chance of a lifetime.

We wish the Birkenhead Comets every success in Florida. Any members who would like to personally donate to support their efforts can do so below

Support Birkenhead Comets

Living Wage Map - £12 UK living wage and £13.15 in London

Increase in the real Living Wage

The Living Wage Foundation recently published their latest research into the cost-of-living and the new Living Wage rates - a 10% increase on last year. The new real living wage is £12 across the UK (£1.10 increase), and £13.15 in London (£1.20 increase) - by comparison, the National Minimum/Living wage set by the Government is currently £10.42, rising to £11.44 in April 2024.

Says Katherine Chapman, Director of the Living Wage Foundation:

A rise in the statutory National Living Wage from next April is welcome news for low paid workers but it still falls short of the voluntary real Living Wage which is £12 per hour in the UK and £13.15 per hour for workers in London.

There are now 14,000 Living Wage accredited employers across the UK who are committed to always paying everyone in their organisation, including contractors like cleaners and security guards, a real Living Wage based on the cost of living. Despite tough economic times, it has been heartening to see record numbers of businesses join our movement and we'd encourage other organisations who can, to make the Living Wage commitment too.

Accord is proud to be a Living Wage Employer and to have encouraged both Lloyds Banking Group and TSB to join us by committing to ensuring everyone has a real living wage.

Find out more about the real Living Wage