This year has been a very difficult year for our members, who have had to navigate a variety of challenges across every department in the bank. As the pace of change continues , we have seen Santander having to make difficult decisions to keep the bank profitable. This has affected our members through outsourcing and TUPE, a decision with which AU remains fiercely opposed. To help raise awareness of this issue, AU worked closely with our sister union, CWU, on the ‘Invest in the best’ campaign, demonstrating unity between the two unions. This has never happened before and shows that by working together, we can amplify our members’ collective voice.

We have continued to see high levels of operational changes, many of which impact our members with redundancy, for example, in the branch network and across all of the sites, and while the bank’s commitment to redeployment is as strong as ever, sadly, the opportunities are not as numerous as in previous years. We will continue to work to provide our members with the support they need in those difficult times.

The TSB deal is moving ever closer, and when I reflect on the fears our members had in January about reported exits from the UK market collectively, this is very good news. That being said, it does not take away the worries and concerns at an individual level about what this means for your role or your workplace. Those who were around when Santander first acquired Abbey, B&B and A&L will know that this is the start of a very long journey, and while we don’t have answers now, I can assure members that we are not only working closely with the bank but also our sister union Accord, with whom we have a very close relationship. I was able to meet the Ged Nichols Accord General Secretary at the TUC Congress in September.

Within Advance Union it has also been a year of change as we pivot to our new operating model. We have spent 2025 reshaping your union to be more member-centric, more visible in your place of work and more accountable. We have seen our team of reps grow by around 40% and recruited a record level of new members. We have launched the new E-magazine and the Reps News letter, and have produced some podcasts with more to follow (which we host on our YouTube channel). In September, we hosted the first of a series of all-member webinars and embarked on a planned set of roadshows at our head office sites. We want to make it as easy as possible for members to give us their feedback so we are truly representative of the collective.

Most importantly, we had our first-ever Conference, where all members had the opportunity to shape the strategic direction for AU. You can talk to your NEC rep to track how we are progressing against the mandates from the Conference.

Looking ahead to 2026 we know the landscape will be challenging. Just a week into 2026 the ratings will go live, and I would encourage all members to take some time to look at the material that’s out there, talk to your manager, and really get to grips with the new process.

We are your voice at work, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch to talk about your concerns, discuss your views and help your union grow.

Jim Leonard