Pay 2018: The ballot

Pay 2018 Campaign Archive

The Pay 2018 negotiations concluded with an offer being put to members. While there were some high numbers in the matrices, the bank’s performance related pay approach utilised a bell curve which ensured that only very few workers received the highest ratings and therefore the higher pay rises. Additionally, we know from subsequent data requests, that the ‘up to’ figures for managerial staff made high pay rises even rarer, with the vast majority of those workers receiving pay rises far below those figures.

The Unite Fair Pay Claim had called for a minimum payment of £25 per week for all workers. The bank’s final offer (which Unite negotiated up significantly from their opening offers) amounted to a minimum payment the equivalent of £6.92 per week.

These issues would be addressed in future pay rounds when the bank returned to sustainable profitability.

This newsletter was first published in January 2018.

Members to be surveyed over final recommended offer

Unite the Union has concluded negotiations with RBS over the employer’s pay proposals for 2018.

Final Offer

The offer, which was conditional on a union recommendation to members, includes the following:

  • A guaranteed minimum underpin of £360 for all 3, 4 and 5 rated clerical and appointed staff within range.
  • A non-consolidated cash payment of £300 for all 3, rated clerical and appointed staff who are above their range maximum. For employees rated as 4 the payment will be £330 with those rated as 5 receiving a cash payment of £360.
  • The offer applies pro-rata for part-time employees.
  • The offer applies to all W&G staff.

As a consequence of this offer, the following pay matrices will apply respectively to those clerical, appointed and managerial staff whose pay is managed through a salary range: 

Pay 2018 Fixed Matrix – Clerical Staff:

Table with figures on pay. Figures as follows: Less than 90% of range: a 3 rating receives 6%; a 4 rating 8% and a 5 rating 10%. Between 90% and 96.99% of range: a 3 rating receives 4%; a 4 rating 6% and a 5 rating 8%. Between 97% and 102.99% of range: a 3 rating receives 2.5%; a 4 rating 4% and a 5 rating 6%. Between 103% and 109.99% a 3 rating receives 1.0%; a 4 rating 2.5% and a 5 rating 4%. Between 110% and 199.99%, a 3 rating receives 0.5%; a 4 rating 1.0% and a 5 rating 2.5%.

Pay 2018 Fixed Matrix – Appointed Staff:

Table with figures on pay. Figures as follows: Less than 97% of range: a 3 rating receives 4%; a 4 rating 6% and a 5 rating 8%. Between 97% and 102.99% of range: a 3 rating receives 2.5%; a 4 rating 4% and a 5 rating 6%. Between 103% and 109.99% a 3 rating receives 1.0%; a 4 rating 2.5% and a 5 rating 4%. Between 110% and 199.99%, a 3 rating receives 0.5%; a 4 rating 1.0% and a 5 rating 2.5%.

Pay 2018 Fixed Matrix – Managerial Staff:

Table with figures on pay. Figures as follows: Less than 90% of range: a 3 rating receives up to 6%; a 4 rating up to 9% and a 5 rating up to 11%. Between 90% and 94.99% of range: a 3 rating receives up to 4%; a 4 rating up to 6% and a 5 rating up to 9%. Between 95% and 104.99%: a 3 rating receives up to 3%; a 4 rating up to 4%; a 5 rating up to 6% Between 105% and 114.99% a 3 rating receives 2%; a 4 rating 3% and a 5 rating 4%. Over 115%, a 3 rating receives up to 1%; a 4 rating up to 2% and a 5 rating up to 3%.

Impact of the 2018 offer

The banks final offer reduces the number of staff not receiving any matrix increase or non-consolidated cash payment. 66% of the employee bargaining unit will receive a pay rise of 2% or better, with 48% getting 4% pay rise or more.

Unite position

The trade union acknowledges that the bank has moved during the negotiations between the parties in an attempt to reach a collective agreement on pay. The union also believes that the employer’s negotiating team had effectively exhausted the mandate of funds available for the 2018 pay round.

Unite’s latest survey of RBS staff showed that a number of union members were experiencing financial difficulty, with many living from month to month.  Forecasts for the rate of inflation, the increased costs of goods and services, indicates that this situation is unlikely to significantly improve in the near future.

It was vital therefore that Unite sought to secure the best deal possible for the majority of employees in RBS, and secured an underpin for some of the lowest paid staff in the bank.

It is for this reason that your National Committee is recommending that members accept the pay offer for 2018 from RBS.

Details of the Unite member’s survey will be sent out next week.

Further reading