Details of the main changes affecting staff, which have now been agreed, are given below.
(1) Sub-branch system
The system
of sub-branches now in operation will be discontinued. All branches will act independently and will have a Branch Manager in charge.
(2) Groups
Branches will be allocated to one of four areas or groups instead of the former eight groups (Head Office will act independently).
(3)
Area Managers
Each area will be under the control of an Area Manager who will not be responsible for managerial duties
at any particular branch within the area under his control.
(4) Working Hours
Since TSB working hours are 36 hours per week,
the following working hours will operate from 1st April, 1976:
|
|
|
Gross |
Net |
|
Monday |
0900 - 1600 = |
7 |
6½ |
|
Tuesday |
0900 - 1600 = |
7 |
6½ |
|
Wednesday |
0900
- 1600 = |
7 |
6½ |
|
Thursday |
0900 - 1930 = |
10½ |
10 |
|
Friday |
0900 - 1600 = |
7 |
6½ |
|
|
|
38½ hrs |
36 hrs |
Present conditions will apply (and half-hour
lunch period taken). Staff will be required to be on call and will not be paid lunch allowance until position is reviewed at time
of amalgamation.
(5) Branch Grading
In order to conform to the TSB system of branch grading, our present system on a funds
and transactions basis will cease after 1st April, 1976 and new appointments thereafter will be made strictly in accordance with TSB
scales (ie on a funds only basis).
(6) Superannuation
An Admission Agreement allowing for all officers over 18 in post with
the BMB to continue to pay contributions to the Local Government Superannuation Scheme has been drawn up by the County Superannuation
Officer. The opportunity has been offered to negotiate the inclusion of a clause in this agreement to permit officers in post who
will be under the age of 18 at 31st March, 1976 to be admitted to the Scheme on attaining that age.
The employees' contributions
to the TSB Superannuation Fund are: men - 1½%; women - nil.
In bringing BMB employees' salaries into line with present TSB employees,
the assimilation points on existing TSB scales were arrived at after taking into consideration the facts that no impairment to existing
pick-up pay and pension bases should occur on assimilation and that there was a fundamental difference in the Superannuation Scheme
applicable respectively to BMB and TSB staffs.
The assimilation points decided upon in the TSB scales will ensure that even with
the continuing contributions at the appropriate rate to the Local Government Superannuation Scheme allowed for under the proposed
Admission Agreement, pick-up pay and pension bases will not be adversely affected; in other words, the above arrangement will allow
BMB staff to remain in the Local Government Superannuation Scheme on terms which will be equivalent to the non-contributory scheme
applicable to TSB staffs.
(7) Incremental Dates
Assimilation will be made on the position obtaining at 1st April, 1976 with
immediate movement to the TSB incremental timing period (ie 21st November instead of 1st April).
(8) Salaries
The scheme
for assimilation of salaries on to TSB grades has now been approved by the Trustees of the BMTSB, the TSB Employers' Council and NALGO,
and letters will be sent to all members of staff giving details of individual grading and salaries as soon as possible. However, a
positive indication of salary and incremental progression can be obtained by reference to the attached chart (Appendix 'A').
eg: An officer graded BMB Clerical 1(a) on 1st April, 1976 receiving a basic salary of £1,587 (column marked Scale Point BMB A)
will be assimilated to TSB point £1581 (column marked TSB Scale Point A). This officer will be graded (TSB) Clerical Grade 1 but will
receive incremental progression to the top of his assimilated grade (in other words, to the TSB point on the attached chart, opposite
to the top of the C1(a) scale), eg:
|
£1581 |
1st April, 1976 |
|
£1785 |
21st November, 1976 |
|
£2013 |
21st November, 1977 |
|
£2013 |
21st November,
1978 |
|
£2067 |
21st November, 1979 |
|
£2250 |
21st November, 1980 |
|
£2250 |
21st November, 1981 |
At this point (unless already promoted to a higher
grade), an officer's progression will cease. Officers on managerial and clerical scales will receive National Union of Bank Employees'
negotiated salary increases but to avoid the possibility of a permanent differential between a former BMB officer's salary and that
of his opposite number in a TSB, once a former BMB officer reaches his maximum protected salary level, any further salary awards or
upward adjustments will not be paid to that officer after 21st November, 1979. Such salary will remain at that point until equalled
or overtaken by the TSB salary. Until former BMB officers' salaries exactly conform to those of TSB officers, any adjustments that
are made to salaries as a result of increased responsibilities will not be paid to former BMB officers on their assimilated salaries
unless such increases would take them into their true TSB grade.
It is emphasised that BMB officers in post at 31st March, 1976
will be protected to the top of their assimilated scale but, in all cases, following promotion all right of protection of any former
salary will cease. In this context promotion is defined as a salary point above that to which an officer is protected. An officer
who moves within his protected scale is not promoted and does not lose his protection.
Where an officer on a protected incremental
scale has a ceiling higher than that used in TSBs but at present is on a scale point below that of a TSB with identical funds, it
has been agreed that it will not be necessary for the officer to be removed from that branch or accelerated to the TSB scale point.
Normal progression will be maintained until the protected scale point is reached or promotion is accepted.
(9) TSB Grading System
The
present TSB scales of salaries are as follows:
General Duties Scale (based on age)
|
|
£ |
|
16 |
1020 |
|
17 |
1074 |
|
18 |
1227 |
|
19 |
1299 |
|
20 |
1362 |
Clerical
Grades
|
Grade 1 |
Grade 2 |
Grade 3 |
Grade 4 |
|
£ |
£ |
£ |
£ |
|
1397 |
1887 |
2622 |
3372 |
|
1482 |
2067 |
2811 |
3567 |
|
1581 |
2250 |
3003 |
3750 |
|
1683 |
2442 |
3192 |
3936 |
|
1785 |
2622 |
3372 |
4125 |
|
1887 |
2811 |
|
|
|
2013 |
|
|
|
Branch
Managers' Salary Scale
A minimum salary on appointment of £3405, rising by three annual increments to £4407 (as shown below),
unless the funds reach £1m. before that time, in which case a minimum of £4,431 will be paid.
Funds up to £1m.
|
£3405 |
|
£3741 |
|
£4074 |
|
£4407 |
Salaries
for branches with balances over £1m. to be graded as follows:
|
Over £1m. funds |
£4431 |
|
" £1.25m. " |
£4554 |
|
" £1.50m. " |
£4770 |
|
" £1.75m. " |
£4848 |
|
" £2m. " |
£4983 |
|
" £2.25m. " |
£5055 |
|
" £2.50m. " |
£5139 |
|
" £2.75m. " |
£5235 |
|
" £3m. " |
£5322 |
|
" £3.50m. " |
£5463 |
|
" £4m. " |
£5601 |
|
" £4.50m. " |
£5715 |
|
" £5m. " |
£5850 |
|
" £6m. " |
£6033 |
|
" £7m. " |
£6213 |
|
" £8m. " |
£6321 |
|
" £10m. " |
£6498 |
(10) Administrative Officers
Salaries of Administrative
Officers will be at the discretion of the Trustees. Officers placed in this category will be notified as soon as possible.
(11) Non-Clerical Officers
Salaries of officers in this category (present technical and miscellaneous grade) are at the discretion
of the Trustees.
(12) Shorthand/Typists
There is no separate grade for this class of officer under the TSB grading structure.
Consequently, BMB shorthand/typists will in future be graded within TSB Clerical Grades, in accordance with TSB practice.
All
employees referred to in paragraphs 10 - 12 above will receive protection to the top of their present assimilated grade.
(13)
Manual Workers
Wages of manual workers are fixed at the discretion of the Trustees but, in common with all other BMB employees,
they will be employed by the BMTSB on terms which will be no less favourable than those obtaining at the point in time immediately
preceding transfer.
(14) Holiday Entitlement
The present TSB holiday entitlement is:
General Duties Scale or Appointment
Grades 1, 2, 3.
On appointment and up to -
|
3 years' service |
17 days |
|
3 - 5 years' service |
18 days |
|
5 - 15 years' service |
20 days |
|
15
- 25 years' service |
22 days |
|
over 25 years' service |
25 days |
Branch Managers and Clerical Staff in Appointment Grade 4
|
On appointment |
- 25 days |
|
over 5 years' service as Branch Manager/Grade 4 |
- 28 days |
As stated in Staff Bulletin No 3, staff in post
with BMB on 31st March, 1976 will continue with present entitlement unless or until advantage occurs.
(15) Large Town Allowance
A
Large Town Allowance of £124 will be paid to all staff who work in branches or premises within the Local Authority boundary of Birmingham
existing at the time of the 1971 census. Staff employed at the following branches will not be entitled to this allowance:
Blackheath,
Chelmsley Wood, Halesowen, Oldbury, Rubery, Shirley,
Smethwick, Solihull, Sutton Coldfield and Boldmere.
(16) Agreement
An
agreement will be concluded in the near future between "the employing body" and the National and Local Government Officers' Association,
covering all aspects of the transfer of staff to TSB status, including the appeals machinery which will conform to the outline of
the procedure agreement laid down in the TSB Employers' Council Handbook.
The purpose of this letter is to provide members of
the staff with information concerning their transfer to TSB status and to reassure them that their interests will be fully protected.
However,
should any member of staff require any further information, a meeting of the staff has been arranged at Head Office for Monday, 29th
March at 16:45 hours. It would be of assistance if any questions could be sent to reach me on the morning of the meeting in an envelope
marked "Staff Meeting".
Councillor N Hargreaves, the Chairman of the Management Committee of the BMB and Chairman of the Trustees
of the BMTSB will be in attendance at the meeting.
In order that arrangements can be made, I should be pleased if Managers/Department
Heads would arrange for the attached slip to be returned to Head Office not later than the morning of the meeting indicating the names
of the members of staff who will be attending the meeting.