Thursday, November 01, 2001

For immediate release

Pat on the back for union Stress Busters

“Finsec Stress Busters congratulate Margaret Wilson for her welcome acknowledgement of stress as a workplace hazard,” said Robyn Woller, President of Finsec the finance sector union, and a member of Finsec’s Taranaki health and safety committee – otherwise known as The Stress Busters.

“We also want to give ourselves a very big pat on the back. Finsec members have been working for a long time now in health and safety committees around the country to persuade politicians and the public that our greatest health and safety hazard at work is stress.

“Banks have been in denial about stress as a workplace hazard for years and years.

“Stress is not a necessary part of a finance worker’s life. It is caused by constant staffing cuts, unrealistic performance targets and divisive management practices.

“As a result of this bank staff work huge amounts of unpaid overtime. Australian workers working for the same banks have calculated that they donate a million unpaid overtime hours a week to their employers.”

“Our motto is ‘A living and a life’, Robyn said. “We want to do a good job – we want to increase the banks’ profits – and then we want to go home on time.

“We will continue to take our stories out to the public and to politicians until this long overdue legislation is passed.”

Ends

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