Westpac call centre staff pin hopes on Tuesday

Following this week's action by Westpac call centre staff to improve their work life balance, the bank and Finsec, the union for bank workers, have met today.

"Talks took place today for four hours and, although there was no firm outcome, the bank has committed to returning with a proposal on Tuesday that we hope will address the workers' issues," said Finsec organiser Karen Skinner.

"Staff are delighted with the supportive faxes and phone calls they have had from other bank workers, customers and small shareholders after Tuesday's action," Ms Skinner said.

On Tuesday call centre workers around the country took action in a bid to get their employer to address their lack of work life balance.

"The workers need a fixed working roster in order to participate in their communities and with their families. They also want equity with other workers in the bank who work 30 minutes less a day," Karen Skinner concluded.

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>