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21st December 2009 - The Terms & Conditions Ballot 2010

Further our update on December 3rd, we are now providing a short update for members before the Christmas break.

Since the Bank published its proposals to integrate terms and conditions of employment between HBOS and Lloyds TSB staff on December 3rd, the Union has held a number of special meetings of representatives.

These have enabled us to listen to members’ views, answer questions on points of detail and to discuss the way forward. Nearly 600 elected workplace representatives attended these meetings. If you want a copy of the notes of the meeting that took place nearest to you please email info@AccordHQ.org 

After the final reps’ meeting on December 16th, the elected members of the Union’s Principal Executive Council met at the TUC in London to consider the feedback and plan the next stages of the Union’s response.   The following issues were considered: 

  • The Bank had written to all members of final salary pension schemes on December 11th stating that it intends to implement the proposed changes to the Schemes without specific employee consent following a period of consultation which ends on February 15th. Further, that Scheme members will be deemed to have accepted the changes to their final salary pension scheme if they accept any pay rises they are offered after the April 2010 pay review. The PEC decided that the Union must seek specialist legal advice on this and share the advice with members in due course. 
  • A number of members did not feel that they were in a position to make informed choices about the proposals because of the lack of information on the pay scales and the lack of clarity around which new bands some roles will be allocated to.
  • There had been some clear expressions of dissatisfaction from groups of members who are particularly impacted by proposed changes such as holidays, bank holidays, bonuses, sick pay and company cars.  
  • However, some other members had welcomed the explanation of the changes which were more positive than they had been lead to believe.  
  • Further talks would be taking place between the Union and the Bank early in the New Year on the 2010 Pay proposals. 

Members have been advised previously that the Union has appointed Electoral Reform Services to administer the Accord ballot in relation to the Terms & Conditions Integration.   The ballot will take place from mid January until early February and will not close until members have all of the information they need to make an informed choice. 

In the ballot, members will be able to vote to accept or reject the Bank’s proposals. In addition, members who wish to reject the proposals will be able to specify what aspects they believe must be changed to make the overall proposals acceptable. If they are wholly opposed to the proposals, then the ballot will give them an opportunity to call for a ballot for industrial action to seek to stop the Bank implementing the proposals. A second, separate ballot would be carried out to authorise industrial action if the outcome of the first ballot leads in that direction. 

This is your future and it will be your choice. It will be really important that every member votes. Letters will be sent to home addresses in January to explain the process. The ballot results will be published after the closing date and Accord will act in accordance with members’ wishes. 

After the ballot we expect to have further discussions with the Bank on the outcomes of the consultation processes and on any transitional arrangements that might apply if an agreement is to be reached.

However, Accord will not commit to any Agreement with the Bank which would implement changes unless we have a clear mandate from members to do so.

The PEC will be meeting again in the first week of January to consider the next steps in the process and to make the final arrangements for the ballot.

Further communications will follow that meeting. In the meantime, service will be maintained over the holiday period and members can contact info@AccordHQ.org as usual. 

But for now, as this difficult year draws to a close, the Principal Executive Council wishes all members and their families a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful and happy New Year.

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