UNDERPAID bank staff are “yearning for change” after years of stagnating pay, Unite warned today as it hailed a push to unionise workers across Lloyds Banking Group.

Campaigners for the union’s “bold new trade unionism” drive, which launched this week, highlighted that there was a “vast difference between bankers and bank workers.

“As one sips champagne the other decides whether they can afford the cost of boiling a kettle to make a cup of tea.”

Many traditionally non-unionised bank workers, based in call centres, back-office positions and customer-facing roles in branches, often earn between £19,000 and £20,000 a year, Unite Lloyds rep Dean Perry told the Morning Star.

He argued that the campaign, which has seen events this week outside the bank’s sites in Leeds, the City of London, Newport, the West Midlands, Bristol and Glasgow, is desperately needed because “workers are starting to feel the squeeze” amid soaring prices.

“There’s been overwhelming support from workers, people are saying times are tough, they’re seeing the bank making quite substantial amounts of profits and they expect a fair slice.”

Lloyds has given £1.4 billion to shareholders in dividend payments this year following substantial profits of £5.9bn in 2021, according to Unite.

“For the first time in a long time, people are coming together and demanding change, and Unite is spearheading the campaign for that change,” Mr Perry said.

He accused bosses of barring the union’s organisers from entering the bank’s sites and “not being supportive in terms of some of the rhetoric they’re putting out.”

For example, the bank is trying to “airbrush” the fact that pressure from Unite brought about an unprecedented £1,000 cost-of-living payment for employees in June, a concession now being copied by other banks, the rep said.

Lloyds Banking Group has been contacted for comment.