Customers against ANZ staff cuts

ANZ customers say they oppose proposed reductions in branch staffing numbers according to polling undertaken by Finsec.  93% of customers polled said they did not support a reduction in frontline staff in ANZ branches. 96% of customers polled said branch staffing cuts would have a negative impact on customer service. Finsec staff polled 390 ANZ customers leaving branches over the period 1-3 October, in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

Finsec Campaigns Director Andrew Campbell said ANZ should consult customers during its’ branch review process in light of the poll results. “Customers have expressed very strong concerns about the impact of staff reductions and Finsec says they deserve to have a say in the future of their bank.”

In other ANZ branch downsizing news, the cut off date for applications for voluntary redundancy passed this Wednesday. While we do not have official numbers from the bank we understand that there has been considerable interest from staff in the voluntary redundancy option.

It’s easy to provide excellent service – don’t decrease staffing

Finsec members at ANZ have gone on the front foot this week in defence of staffing levels in their branches. Conference calls were held on Wednesday evening for ANZ delegates and members to formulate a plan of action, which is now being put in place.

“Last week’s announcement came as a bolt from the blue for ANZ staff,” said Kelly Smith from ANZ Whakatane, one of Finsec’s ANZ retail team on our Union Council. “Its been good to talk to Finsec members from around the country and come up with a plan to influence the review of ANZ retail staffing.”

ANZ staff are now completing a survey to assess how current staffing levels are working, and analyse the impact of reduction of staff numbers. They are also signing petitions to CEO Graeme Hodgson and Managing Director of ANZ Retail Wayne Bezant urging the bank to ensure the branch review delivers decent staffing levels.

Finsec members have also been in communications with the bank to ensure that the voluntary redundancy processes are fair and correct.

Ombudsman involved in case of ANZ “pushing product”

Yesterday’s Business Herald  featured a story about the Banking Ombudsman’s involvement in cases reclaiming frozen funds from ANZ tied up in ING funds.

The bank has paid out more than $200,000 to one elderly woman, one of a number of settlements the bank has reached with people who invested through ANZ financial advisors.

The story goes on to say ‘Financial planner Jeff Matthews of Spicers Wealth Management, said the adice ANZ gave was poor. “They were’t trying to solve someone’s [investment]  problem, they were just pushing product.”

Finsec will be launching a major campaign to take on the banks’ sales targets that put pressure on staff to sell products, sometimes beyond what customers want or need. Watch this space. For the full Herald story, follow this link:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10535307

Major reductions in customer service expected in ANZ branches

ANZ National announced its intention yesterday to cut face to face service to customers by reducing front line branch staff numbers. Yesterday the bank announced to staff the following:
1. A review of the branch network with a view to reducing staff numbers
2. A freeze on recruitment which will lead to immediate staff reductions through attrition
3. A reduction in the use of casual staff to cover absences and a tightening up of overtime being worked
4. Asking front line staff to consider voluntary redundancy

Finsec Campaigns Director Andrew Campbell said ANZ National was breaking the promise they made to increase frontline staff when they announced the offshoring of hundreds of jobs to Bangalore. “At a time when this billion dollar bank continues to make record profits, it should be investing in its front line but once again, it is putting profit before people. Once again, this bank is going about its business in ways which will only damage its reputation further.”

“ANZ’s proposals will be bad for customers and staff. A survey of ANZ National branches conducted late last year shows that there are already significant understaffing issues in their retail network. 66% of staff surveyed said that understaffing across their team was having a negative impact on customer service. And 82% of staff consistently worked additional hours each week.”

Finsec is meeting with the bank today to express total opposition to cutting staff numbers and seek much more detail from the bank as to what is so wrong that, despite their assurances a few months ago, some staff must now lose their jobs

Fallout from ANZ National announcement

The news from ANZ National has been a major media story, although the bank refused to front up to any media interviews and only issued a statement later in the day, saying that branches are an important
“channel” for ANZ and that they “will be communicating the outcomes to our staff in the appropriate manner.”

Check out some of the media coverage of the ANZ news at the following links:

http://www.3news.co.nz/Video/ANZlooksforwaystoslashNZworkforce/tabid/369/articleID/73186/cat/52/Default.aspx?articleID=73186#video

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4705873a13.html

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10534206

http://www.radionz.co.nz/__data/assets/audio_item/0007/1737601/ckpt-20080925-1721-ANZ_Has_Deceived_its_Staff_And_Customers_-_Finsec-wmbr.asx

4% pay rise at ANZ National – the good and the bad

ANZ National’s next pay run will include the 4% pay rise for Finsec members, and Union Council Chair Cathie Lendrum says there are negative and positive aspects to consider in relation to the pay offer.

“While 4% is less than members wanted and deserved, we wouldn’t have got it without the longstanding campaigning of Finsec members for fair pay,” said Cathie.  “We also need to remember that 4% is more than the average pay increase of 3.5%, and is the biggest annualised pay increase we’ve had in years.”

“As we enter a campaign for fairer targets and more staff, we need to take a good, hard look at the negative positions the bank has taken on these important issues. Targets and staffing are the two issues ANZ National has been most reluctant to address, and more of the same won’t work,” said Cathie. “To win we need more of our colleagues to join our union, and to all be more active in support of what we want.”

ANZ Australia restructure to make “super regional bank” (hundreds of jobs to go)

ANZ Banking Group CEO Mike Smith announced this week plans to restructure the bank along geographical  lines, what he calls a “super regional bank”, which will lead to hundreds of job losses at middle management level.

While it is not clear what impact the changes will have on ANZ National in New Zealand, Finsec’s sister union the FSU has been scathing about the move.  National secretary Leon Carter said the job cuts continued the trend of restructuring in the sector which resulted in the loss of experienced workers.

Carter says that if the bank wants to be a major player in the Asia-Pacific region, that it must take a long-term view. “That requires retaining and investing in Australian jobs, not a short-term mentality that involves slashing and burning every time there is an annoucement about a share price.”

ANZ National staff vote to accept bank offer but don’t “go

Finsec members at ANZ National voted last week to accept the bank’s offer and settle their Collective Employment Agreement. Two thirds of Finsec members at the bank voted in the ballot, and seventy seven percent of those who participated voted to accept the offer.

However, Finsec members took the opportunity of the unpaid stopwork meetings on Friday 22 August to send a strong message to the bank that they expect more. Major pickets occurred in Auckland, Rotorua and Wellington and various activities took place in other centres.

Finsec Union Council Chair Cathie Lendrum said that while the outcome of the negotiations was disappointing, that there had been some significant achievements and there was much more to do as a union. “In the last 12 months Finsec members collectively negotiated the highest average wage increases
out of any industry group in New Zealand. We are committed to achievingchanges to targets and improving staffing levels, and have the support of bank customers to continue our campaign to make ANZ National a Better Bank.”

Westpac workers ratify historic pay deal

Finsec members in Westpac have voted in favour of an historic collective agreement settlement offer that includes a new competency based pay system that removes debt sales targets being linked to pay increases and a 5% wage increase.

“5% is the highest annual wage increase negotiated in the major banks for over a decade,” said Finsec Vice-President and Westpac Union Council Chairperson Maxine Mullen. “Westpac are currently leading the rest of the banks in working with union members to address key issues that face our industry. There are still aspects of the sales target system we want to see changed, but this is a very important step in the right direction,”

Finsec Campaigns Director Andrew Campbell said the Westpac negotiations provided a sharp contrast with the lack of progress made with ANZ National. Industrial action is scheduled for Friday this week after the bank refused to increase their 4% pay offer or change targets.

“There is a huge difference between the two banks in negotiations. Westpac has been prepared to listen to staff and customer concerns while ANZ National has not. In addition to sending hundreds of good Kiwi jobs to Bangalore the bank is offering a lower wage increase than Westpac and won’t review their sales targets,” said Campbell.

Campaign for wage justice at ANZ National continues

Finsec members at ANZ National are continuing the campaign for wage justice at New Zealand’s richest bank, with unpaid stopwork meetings scheduled to take place this Friday morning.

Members have been distributing thousands of New Zealanders for Better Banks postcards throughout the country and getting great support for our pay, staffing and targets goals.

Wellington members also staged an Olympics themed lunchtime picket last Friday, including the hurdles Finsec members are facing at the bank – including pressure to sell, profit before people, sales targets and understaffing.