In a startling revelation the in-house staff union, Accord, has admitted that it was not told about the bank’s decision to force MaPAs to secretly record all telephone calls without telling customers, in breach GDPR regulations. It’s difficult to know where to begin with this one. Accord has spent years sucking up to the bank but when push comes to shove it is ignored because it’s ineffective. When you rely on the support of bank for your very existence, then it can treat you however it wants and there’s nothing you can do about it.
The bank only understands direct action and that’s what we’re engaged in. Accord is jumping on the band wagon we’ve created because it is losing members to BTU now staff have cottoned on to the reality of Lloyds’ manipulation. Unfortunately, it’s too little too late.
We understand that the bank’s senior management team, worried that its new policy is affecting the number of mortgage applications across the country, are reviewing the decision to record all telephone calls following this union’s campaign and referral to the Information Commissioner. A number of newspapers have also picked up on the story and are seeking their own confirmation from the Information Commissioner’s Office of the legality of the bank’s actions. Customers will be furious when they find out what the bank is doing.
MaPAs have also told the union that the requirement to fulfil CVP ID requirements when cold-calling Lloyds customers is also proving impossible. Asking customers to confirm their name, home address and date of birth – information which can easily be used by fraudsters – from telephone numbers which are withheld or from unknown mobile numbers is not very clever. And that at a time when fraud in on the increase and customers are being told not to give out personal details that could be used to access their accounts. The bank needs to revisit this policy quickly.
Members with any questions on this should contact the Union’s Advice Team on 01234 262868 (choose Option 1).