Major campaign starts in both ANZ National and Westpac

Finsec members in both ANZ National and Westpac are leading the charge to implement the Better Banks Agenda for Change. 

Union meetings in both banks have started this week as ANZ National and Westpac banks will be negotiating their collective agreements at the same time, and will campaign together to implement the Better Banks Agenda for Change.

 Finsec President Kelvin Pycroft said that the timing of collective negotiations meant that the banks would need to start working together as an industry to address common concerns. “The issues are very similar , regardless of which bank staff work for. Finsec has a plan for the whole sector that will improve customer service and address community concerns – we will be expecting banks to come to the table with a commitment to Better Banks.”

 Key aspects of the Agenda for Change include decent wage increases and pay parity across banks, increased staffing levels, 5 weeks annual leave after 5 years service, and changes to targets and incentive schemes. Finsec is also seeking an industry approach to better training and legislation to make our banking system and lending practices fairer.

Fifty years ago at the BNZ

BNZ 1955: ‘exceptional opportunities for advancement’; well, for blokes anyway.

BNZ 2007: targets

BNZ 1955: ‘stability and security of employment’

BNZ 2007: Bank FTE staff numbers fall 212 or 4.6% in last reported financial year. Average employee turnover 2006 – 24.8%

BNZ 1955: ‘generous salaries and conditions’

BNZ 2007: BA at 100% of BNZ salary is paid $6,485 less than equivalent job at National Bank

But, on the upside at least in 2007 you don’t need to bring your parents to the job interview.

From the archives (26 May 1994) No more talking – it’s time for action

AMP Staff win battle for collective contract

Pic: Janine Hill dumps a pile of folders in the AMP foyer

In a mass display of resistance, two hundred AMP staff handed their ‘Vision’ folders back to AMP on Thursday 26 May. The ‘Vision’ folders contain the societies expression of its commitment to act with integrity in all its dealings with both staff and customers.

The workers at AMP claimed that the society ceased acting with integrity when it tried to force them to accept individual contracts.

The negotiation process had already become drawn out because AMP kept changing its mind about what it wanted in the contract. One day it would agree to things, and the next day it would say it’d changed its mind!

Two weeks into negotiations, the society suddenly announced that specialist/team leaders would have to have individual contracts, and there would be no overtime pay. About 40% of the people on the collective contract are specialists/team leaders.

When management said there would be no overtime pay, staff decided that was it.

At 9:45 am AMP workers walked to the foyer of the building that the general manager works in, opposite Wellington’s Park Royal Hotel. They piled up their work folders, many with special comments for mangers on the cover.

When the pile was full, a delegation took a letter up to the heavily guarded top floor, for the general manager. They were not allowed to meet him, but were assured that the letter would be passed on.

Finsec senior industrial officer, Don Farr, said, “Staff were so incensed by AMP’s actions, that they had also voted to strike on the Friday, if they did not have a concrete assurance of a collective contract with paid overtime, by 3:30 Thursday.”

“AMP staff resisted efforts by the insurance giant to bully them into accepting individual contracts,” he said.

Staff won both battles.

A memo from the general manager was circulated that Thursday afternoon AMP assuring staff that they could choose a collective contract. It promising that all team leader/specialists who wanted to be on the collective contract could sign onto it. The general manger also agreed that staff who signed individual contracts could switch to the collective if they preferred.

Finsec negotiating team member, Lisa Newman, said, “We have been united and committed in our approach to the negotiations, and it has paid off for us.