ANZ proposes casualisation in Whangarei stores

ANZ proposes casualisation in Whangarei stores

ANZ workers in Whangarei could see their incomes drop by 20 to 40 percent if the bank’s proposal to reduce the number of full-time positions goes ahead says FIRST Union national organiser Tali Williams.

“Last week ANZ proposed a reduction in the number of full time positions at the Whangarei and Bank Street branches”.

“If the proposal goes ahead workers will see their hours cut and many will be forced to look for work elsewhere” says Tali Williams.

“ANZ’s proposal is casualisation in disguise. Last year FIRST Union members overwhelmingly rejected the bank’s collective agreement offer, including the offer of ‘flexible’ working arrangements”.

“ANZ’s proposal demonstrates that flexibility really means casualisation. Full-time positions are reduced based on calculations by BERT, a computer programme which determines staffing levels based on past data. But BERT only measures volume. It can’t value the service Whangarei workers provide” says Tali Williams.

“ANZ’s profits soared to $1.7 billion in 2014. ANZ can afford to keep the workers who create its profits”.

“Northland needs quality jobs. In the final quarter of 2014 Northland had an unemployment rate of 8 percent, the second highest in the country and well above the national rate”.

Collective agreement negotiations between ANZ and FIRST Union are ongoing after multiple rounds of industrial action last year.

ENDS

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