Funny what goes around when no one knows...never saw the "slight increase"! Funny what still goes around...
I think the term "protections" conveys a prophylactic sense which speaks to some airline folk who want to reduce training, hire cheap and claim that commonality means one-for-all training. You can always tell a salesman but not very much.
The A332 trim rate is 0.2deg/sec on AP and I believe the rate is the same for manual flight using the sidestick. The same 3 electric motors, (only one operating at a time, IIRC) drive the THS. Manual/mechanical trim is meant to be used and employs two hydraulic motors. The mechanical stops are part of both systems. A pawl and ratchet system prevents back-movement under air loads. From what I have been able to learn, I don't believe that the THS would return to a previous setting after a prolonged manoeuvre if the stick is merely relaxed, (neutral, no orders to the FMGEC > FCPCs). I believe the THS would remain "as is" in manual flight and the airplane would "settle" into the setting just as any airplane would. In autoflight it would of course, trim.