Rural settlements date this week, but no workers
1 June 2005
For immediate release
Rural settlements date this week, but no workers around
The rural lending settlements team for ANZ National Bank, who process significant rural business transactions such as farm mortgages, joined their colleagues’ nationwide rolling strikes yesterday and again today. This week, known as ‘rural settlements date’, is the date when large numbers of rural transactions are to be settled.
Finsec, the union repesenting the bank workers, has been attempting to return to negotiations before this important settlement date. The bank’s failure to agree on dates to re-enter negotiations with its workers has seen the strike enter its twenty-sixth day today.
National Bank is highly respected in the rural
market, and ANZ National holds 43% of rural business in New
Zealand.
“We knew, and the bank knew, that if this
dispute remained unresolved too long, it would start to
impact on some significant settlement dates for the bank,
such as this one. We once again question what this ANZ
Australia takeover means for New Zealand staff and
customers.” Said Finsec Campaigns Director, Karen
Skinner.
“We are waiting for the bank to return to negotiations. Workers at the bank are only seeking fair compensation for working weekends and evenings, and assurances that the bank is going to treat the staff from its two merging brands, ANZ and National, equally."
150 staff at the Lending Support Services Team in Auckland have just walked off the job in support of their Rural Team colleagues.
Ends