Lloyds has announced that over 300 staff are at risk of redundancy following the announcement of major changes to its businesses under Platform 3.0.
Last October we said that Lloyds was up to no good when it introduced mandatory testing for the Engineering, Architecture and Technical Job Families. We predicted it was a precursor to more job cuts, job changes and, possibly, down gradings when Platform 3.0 was rolled out in 2025.
That’s exactly what’s going to happen over the next few months, and it’s all been agreed by the undemocratic People Consultation Forum (PCF).
Let’s be clear, these are not ‘new’ roles in the traditional sense of the word. They are 1200 existing roles which have been given different names and put into new job family groups. This move alone should cause a thoughtful reader to stop and think.
Why is Lloyds adopting this approach? Pretending they are ‘new’ roles allows Lloyds to force staff to accept new working arrangements. Many of the staff offered one of these ‘new’ roles will have to decide between their flexible working arrangements, which may have been in place for many years and agreed with Lloyds previously, or having a job. It’s part of the Bank’s strategy of getting rid of flexible working in key parts of the business.
In October we said:
“We also think that as part of Platform 3.0, Lloyds will use selection exercises to remap staff in engineering roles into different job families and lower graded roles. And those who move into these ‘new’ roles will be forced to give up their legacy compressed working arrangements.”.
Lloyds likes to talk about how it supports flexible working but when push comes to shove it wants its engineers working Monday – Friday.
Where are the members of the PCF? Why are they not explaining why they agreed to the changes announced today? Not only are they undemocratic but nobody knows who they are. Lloyds said it consulted them. Is that it?
In Davos, Charlie Nunn, Group Chief Executive, waxed lyrical about how the UK’s world-leading universities, highly skilled workforce and advanced capital markets provide: “the potential for a modern, competitive, highly-growth economy that can spread prosperity to all the corners of the country”. He said that growth creates jobs, raises living standards, and provides funding for public services. It could help provide all three but shifting highly paid work offshore achieves the opposite: denuding the UK of valuable knowledge jobs; depressing the living standards of all those dependent on the jobs and reducing the UK tax base which funds public services.
Mr Nunn said all that, knowing that Lloyds was getting rid of 300 engineers and offshoring their jobs to the Lloyds Technology Centre in India. It’s breath-taking hypocrisy.
We will resist any attempt to get rid of staff just because of their flexible working arrangements and if you’re a member and likely to be affected we will be in touch with you individually next week. In the meantime a quick email to Platform3@btuonline.co.uk quoting your membership number will be enough to confirm that you expect to be affected. That would be very helpful.
Members with any questions on this Newsletter should contact the Union’s Advice Team on 01234 262868 (choose Option 1).
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