General

Australian Workplace Agreements

No choice for bank employees: ACTU

The ACTU says that Commonwealth Bank employees do not have a genuine choice when asked to sign one of the new bank-wide standard AWA individual contracts and challenged the bank to conduct a ballot of staff over whether workers want an individual job contract or a collective agreement.

Thousands of bank employees are facing the loss of overtime pay, shift allowances, public holiday pay, rest breaks, RDOs and other basic work conditions under a new AWA individual contract that existing and new Commonwealth Bank staff will be asked to sign.

Under the terms of the new 'Bank-wide standard AWA individual contract', Commonwealth Bank employees can be rostered to work at any location any day of the week.

Once signed, the AWA individual contract has no guarantee of a pay increase for the five year life of the contract and this could see workers' pay falling behind cost of living increases.

The news that potentially thousands of workers in the highly profitable banking sector are now facing the loss of important job conditions and no guarantee of a pay rise for five years comes as unions prepare for a massive national protest against the Howard Government's IR laws tomorrow (Thurs 30 Nov.).

ACTU Secretary Greg Combet said today:

"The Commonwealth Bank is one of Australia's biggest and most profitable companies. It made nearly $4 billion profit last year and employs 35,000 staff around Australia.

It is unnecessary and unacceptable that hard working employees in bank branches as well as in call centres and back-office operations are facing major cuts to their basic job conditions. But that is exactly what big companies are being encouraged to do under the Federal Government's IR laws.

The new Commonwealth Bank AWA individual contract takes away award conditions, including:

• Rostered days off, overtime pay, shift allowances, weekend and public holiday penalty rates and annual leave loading;

• Allowances for higher duties, relieving other staff, meals, travel and for the use of home telephones;

• Relocation and removal expenses for staff made to transfer between branches;

• A guarantee of paid parental leave and redundancy pay for bank employees.

These IR laws give all the power to large businesses at the expense of working families. Bank workers with family responsibilities are particularly worried by the loss of control over their rostered hours of work and the fact that under the AWA individual contract paid maternity leave is discretionary. The Commonwealth Bank's AWA individual contract also enables bosses to schedule work at any location at any time over a seven day week and this measure alone will make it hard for many bank employees who are women working part time.

This is an appalling job contract that takes away workers' control over their roster and undermines their pay and conditions.

This is another example of how badly the Howard Government's IR laws are hurting working Australians. Everyone who is concerned for their job security, their pay, conditions and lifestyle should come to tomorrow's national protest," said Mr Combet.

Unions are holding community meetings and rallies in more than three hundred venues nationally, including at the MCG in Melbourne.

More details: http://www.actu.asn.au

© 2001 Community & Public Sector Union - State Public Services Federation (CPSU-SPSF) - National Office

http://www.cpsu-spsf.asn.au/latest_news/general/20061129_bank.html
Last Modified: 29 Nov 2006