WHAT:

• Almost 900 FIRST Union members who work at Westpac will take strike action on Wednesday 8th August, with a nationwide 2-hour strike from 12:00-14:00 accompanied by full-day industrial action in certain stores around the country.
• Westpac workers have been in pay negotiations with the bank for five months and are seeking meaningful wage increases above the cost of living, but they say progress has stalled and the bank’s position has not improved.
• Workers voted to hold a national strike for two hours, as well as a social media strike and other walkouts in individual workplaces. A picket will be held outside Westpac's head office building on Takutai Square in Auckland.

WHEN AND WHERE:

• National withdrawal of labour - Wednesday 9th August, 12:00-14:00, nationwide
•  
  • All FIRST Union members at Westpac branches across Aotearoa will participate in the 2-hour strike.
• Picket action - Wednesday 9th August, 1400-1600, Outside Westpac Head Office, Takutai Square, Britomart, Auckland
•  
  • Media are invited to attend the picket
• Individual Westpac branches will take further industrial action including full-day withdrawals of labour as voted on by local FIRST Union members in the Bay of Plenty, Palmerston North, Christchurch and more.

WHY:

Bill Bradford, FIRST Union organiser, said Westpac workers had not received wage increases commensurate with increased profits and workloads in the business for a long time.

"Westpac will likely make another billion dollars in profit this year but workers' wages have stagnated for the last decade and negotiations with the bank have been drawn-out and unsuccessful," said Mr Bradford.

"After five months, workers have voted to strike because they believe that Wespac is no longer engaging with the bargaining and a message must be sent."

"These are difficult and stressful jobs that generate a lot of profit for Westpac, but in private, many of these workers are struggling to make ends meet and keep up with the rising cost of living."

"We have to demand more from our banks - they are some of the richest organisations in the country but do not support the communities they make so much money from."

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