ANZ - University/Union Survey Biased, Wrong

Friday 23 November 2001

ANZ today labelled the Finsec union's response to a biased Auckland University/Finsec bank staff satisfaction survey as misleading political manoeuvring which undermined the union's credibility.

The survey conducted by an Auckland University postgraduate student surveyed 348 employees across ANZ, BNZ, National Bank and WestpacTrust.

ANZ Head of Metrobanking, Judy Whiteman says the survey was biased and unrepresentative, and cannot be taken seriously as a measure of staff satisfaction.

"Only union members could participate, and only 348 people were surveyed across the four banks. This equates to an average of 87 people per bank or two percent of ANZ's around 4000 staff," says Ms Whiteman. "We do our own staff satisfaction surveys annually and 2,900 employees or 76% took part our June survey."

The latest ANZ staff satisfaction survey had 76% of the Bank's employees satisfied with ANZ, well above the Australasian average for the sector of 59%. Only 6% were dissatisfied.

Ms Whiteman said ANZ was profiled this month in TV One's Assignment programme on stress as leading the way in its employee practices and in helping to reduce stress.

She said the credibility of the survey was further undermined by the apparent bias of its author Camryn Brown. When initiating the survey, Mr Brown asked Finsec members to "help him change management practices". He also said he wanted to reverse "the cycle of failure which is characterized by low wages and disempowered and unhappy workers."

Ms Whiteman said that a supposed impartial survey should never start with its own agenda. She labelled Finsec's anti-ANZ response to the survey as "typically biased".

"In two of the three main areas of the survey ANZ actually performed better than at least one of the other four banks - staff satisfaction and employee loyalty," she says.

Ms Whiteman, who is responsible for nearly 900 staff within ANZ said Finsec's misrepresentations continue to undermine its credibility and call into question whether it is able to effectively and truthfully represent ANZ workers.

ENDS

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