Finsec members stand up against rushed merger

Finsec members at Westpac Phone Assist and Cards Call Centre have stood up against the rushed merger of their workplaces with great results!

Deadlines were piling up on the hasty restructure, issues were unresolved and inadequate time had been allocated for training. Delegates and members in two sites in Auckland decided to take a stand, and refused to participate in cross training until Westpac sorted the mess out. Westpac had to postpone their training and start working with Finsec members to address our concerns.

Union Councillor Ve Mika is directly affected by the changes and says “We felt moved to take action because the bank said they wanted our views, and then rushed straight on to the next steps with no evidence they were listening to us. As delegates, we know what our rights are and that we have the support of our fellow staff and therefore we felt safe to take a stand to slow things down.”

Ve said that when the training was postponed, staff came and shook her hand and congratulated her. “I said, its not me – its down to you guys making yourselves heard. I’m so proud of the delegate here who took the first step to say no to doing this training and I’m proud to stand beside her. By sticking together, we have shown what being part of Finsec is all about, and what we can achieve.”

The result? Finsec activists Rebecca Brothers and Di Cox had a constructive meeting with the Head of Call Centres on Wednesday, presenting a number of changes Finsec members wanted made. Westpac has agreed to these improvements to the restructure process, and the first cross training will take place in a few weeks.

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