Following the union’s campaign for a recognition award for branch managers working on the frontline, Lloyds has announced today that grades D – F frontline staff will get an extra day off, either on a Friday or Monday, and will be able to get a family takeaway over that weekend. Also, grade C staff seconded into D roles will now get the £250, putting right an obvious absurdity.
Let’s be clear, the bank has only changed its position because of this union’s campaign over the last few days. The two in-house staff unions had already agreed to the bank’s original proposals and they have done nothing for staff since their shoddy agreement was reached.
However this move only serves to show how, almost effortlessly, Lloyds manages to get simple decisions wrong. It should simply have climbed down, paid the money it paid to other groups and taken the credit for putting things right. The cost would have been insignificant in terms of the Bank’s overall staff costs and would have had real value. Whilst on the face of it a day off is tax-efficient; time-off that you know you’re going to have to ‘catch up’ and a takeaway meal is hardly recompense; indeed it’s a tacky response.
People at the top of the Bank like to describe themselves as “leaders”. With leadership like this it would be hard to find your way out of Tesco!
Members with any comments or issues they would like us to deal should contact the Union’s Advice Team on 01234 262868 (choose Option 1).