As we predicted, the new Chief Executive of TSB, Debbie Crosbie, has been given the job of slashing costs, including reducing staff numbers (with head office functions in London, Bristol and Edinburgh bearing the brunt of the job losses), closing branches and getting the bank back to profit ready for a potential sale in a few years time. According to the Chairman of Sabadell, Josep Oliu, who said recently: “TSB is a retail bank with a costly structure, it has to be turned around. For that it needs three years, an adequate return, then it can be candidate to enter into a consolidation process. A merger or a sale are options”.
But the cost cutting has already started. Members will have seen the recent press reports about the headteacher who cleaned the school, washed the toilets and served in the canteen. Well it’s not quite that bad in TSB but it’s getting there. Staff in some branches have been told that it’s now part of their jobs to make sure the branches are clean and tidy ready for opening. We understand that TSB will be issuing a new checklist which sets out what needs to be done to make sure branches are ready for opening. Staff who have seen the list say it includes things that would normally be done by cleaners.
TSB changed facilities managers from Mitie to ISS to cut costs and since then we have received complaints from members about the cleanliness of some branches/telephony centres and offices. Routine maintenance jobs are not being done and the number of cleaning staff has been reduced. We are not criticising ISS staff, many of whom came across from Mitie, because they are doing fantastic jobs in difficult circumstances, but they can only work with the resources they have been given. If those resources have been cut to save money, then standards are going to slip. It would seem that for all staff things are only going to get worse when the new Chief Executive eventually gets her feet under the table.
Members who are asked to do jobs that were previously done by cleaners should contact the Union’s Advice Team immediately on 01234 716029 or they can email us at 24hours@tbuonline.co.uk.