Welcome

A Belated Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all Accord members and your loved ones! We hope 2025 brings you good health, peace, and prosperity.

As we step into the New Year, there’s a glimmer of hope on the global stage. A ceasefire deal and the release of Israeli hostages could mark the beginning of a lasting peace after 15 devastating months of war.

Meanwhile, the war in Ukraine continues with no clear end in sight. With the inauguration of the new US President, we can only wait and see how these global challenges evolve. It seems 2025 could be a bumpy ride.

Closer to home, the UK’s new government is still struggling to win over the public. The ‘honeymoon period’ many hoped for hasn’t materialised, and tough economic times seem likely. However, a functioning and stable government committed to economic growth, a sustainable environment, and strong public services is what we all need. Let’s hope for progress.

On a brighter note, inflation figures are beginning to ease, providing some relief amid the challenges. These figures also highlight how strong the 2025 pay deal between Accord and LBG is for our members.

Updates from LBG and TSB

At LBG, the year has already started with a bang. On 15th January, we saw a raft of change announcements, and no doubt more will follow as the year unfolds.

The new employee forums for colleague consultation came into effect on 1st January. While these forums represent a shift, rest assured that Accord’s services remain unchanged. You’ll still have access to our professional advice and support when facing challenging times like organisational restructuring, performance reviews, or health and reward issues.

Our goal remains the same: to ensure all LBG staff, no matter their grade, have access to independent, union-led collective representation. To achieve this, we need to grow union membership in senior grades.

Over at TSB, we’re in discussions about 2025’s Reward arrangements and expect to share more news with members in February. The planned retirement of TSB’s popular CEO Robin Bulloch later this year brings some uncertainty, but we’re confident about building a positive relationship with the incoming leadership team.

Let’s Start 2025 Strong

This year, let’s continue building a stronger union together. If you have colleagues who aren’t yet members of Accord or Unite, encourage them to join.

As an added incentive, new members who join online this month using the promo code 3MFREE won’t pay anything until after they receive their April pay increase. By joining now, they’ll gain immediate access to expert advice, professional support, and a host of membership benefits.

Your support makes everything we do possible, and together, we can rise to meet the challenges of 2025 with optimism and purpose.

Thank you for standing with us.

Very best wishes,

Ged

On January 15^th, Lloyds Banking Group announced significant changes across five key business areas, alongside a major strategic change to its Community Banks operating model. While these changes are set to bring about redundancies, new roles will also be created, and the final number of colleagues at risk will be determined following a selection process.

Accord has reached out to every affected member, offering guidance and support. Our primary focus is on minimising compulsory redundancies and ensuring that all impacted members receive the full redundancy compensation they’re entitled to.

Here’s a breakdown of the key changes that were announced:

On the same day, LBG announced the planned closures of its Speke Estuary House and Dunfermline Pitreavie sites. These are scheduled for Q3 of 2025 and the second half of 2026, respectively.

While these closures are still some time away, we recognise that members may have concerns about how this will impact them personally. Accord is here to support all of our members through this significant transition.

If you’ve been impacted by any of the recent announcements, don’t hesitate to reach out for support - we’re here to help every step of the way.