http:/http://www.fsunion.org.au Latest FSU News en-us http://www.fsunion.org.au/News-Views/Westpac-plans-to-wield-the.aspx Westpac has proposed slashing 560 jobs, of which 150 are positions to be offshored. These proposed cuts have a one week consultation period, meaning there is still time to tell the bank to back away from these damaging and unnecessary cuts. These planned cuts are on top of the announcement in November of 188 IT jobs to be offshored. These proposed cuts are in spite of Westpac making a record $6.99 billion profit in 2011. Have Your Say Through the FSU There is an alternative to these job cuts. Westpac should support its people to continue to deliver high quality services to customers using local capacity rather than under-resourcing some areas and removing entire capacity in others. The best protection for your job is speaking up now with the collective strength of the FSU. The Westpac Enterprise Agreement 2010 provides an obligation for the bank to consult, and protections around redundancy, redeployment and staffing levels. Make sure you are part of the FSU so that your rights are protected, and Westpac understands that they should not be making these cuts and offshoring jobs at a time when it is making record profits. FSU Position The FSU says no Westpac employee should be forced to be redundant no-one should be forced to train the offshore provider that is replacing them jobs should not be offshored when the skills and the employees are already here doing the work well State and Federal politicians should immediately demand that Westpac abandon these short term plans and protect jobs through uncertain times What You Can Do Join the FSU if you are not already a member If you are impacted and need support and advice, contact the FSU Member Rights Centre on 1300 366 378 Talk to your local politician - tell them how these cuts affect you, and demand action to make them more responsible Write/call in to the local newspaper or radio - spread the word on what is going on and how you are impacted Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.fsunion.org.au/News-Views/IAG-Enterprise-Agreement-2012-Know.aspx The new Union negotiated IAG Enterprise Agreement is effective from 1 February 2012 in providing the terms and conditions for employment of IAG staff. Close to 9000 IAG staff will be covered by this 3 year Agreement including staff at NRMA, IMA, SGIC, SGIO, CGU and Swann Insurance. Much of the 2012 Enterprise Agreement is similar to the 2003 Enterprise Agreement, but there are some notable improvements and changes to clauses including: 4.5 Varying the Pattern of Hours 4.5.1(e) Managers will provide Employees with 21 days’ notice. 4.6 Saturday and Sunday Work 4.6.3(b) For work performed on a Sunday as part of Ordinary Hours, Employees will receive ordinary pay plus 75% loading. 4.10 24 Hour Shift Work Arrangements IAG have introduced shift work conditions as part of the Enterprise Agreement, which were previously covered by local arrangements only. 5 Remuneration 5.3 Minimum Performance Increase (MPI): At each Annual Remuneration Review, if an employee receives a performance rating of ‘Achieving Expectations’ or greater for the relevant year, Eligible Employees will receive an MPI to their fixed pay. 6 Leave 6.1.4 Cashing out Annual Leave: clause introduces the option to cash out leave once per year for employees who will be able to maintain a balance of 4 weeks annual leave. Employees must have taken at least 2 weeks annual leave in a 12 month period. 6.3 Mid-Service Leave 6.3.1 Full time and part-time Employees who have 7 years of continuous service with IAG, will be entitled to one week of additional leave per year until their 10th anniversary of service. 6.7 Parental Leave: This section has been improved to provide a 14 week entitlement for primary carers and 3 weeks for secondary carers. 7 Redundancy, Redeployment & Retrenchment 7.9(a) Position at a Lower Salary: An employee may elect to accept a position at a lower salary (a 3 month trial period applies during which the Employee will have access to elect a retrenchment payment if the new position is unsuitable). The FSU will distribute a series of fact sheets on the new Enterprise Agreement conditions. The Enterprise Agreement is enforceable so if you have concerns about the application of the Agreement, please contact the FSU Member Rights Centre on 1300 366 378. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.fsunion.org.au/News-Views/Suncorp-ring-in-2012-with.aspx Suncorp announced they are offshoring another 71 roles across personal and commercial insurance. Indian based offshoring specialist firm World Network Services (WNS) will be taking on the impacted roles in policy, admin, distribution and finance; with job losses expected across NSW, Victoria and Queensland. Suncorp have advised that some current work sites will be scaled back or closed down in mid 2012 in line with this offshoring process. The FSU has put forward principles and protocols to minimise the harsh impacts of offshoring on Australian staff, Suncorp are currently reviewing these guidelines and cannot confirm in the current case whether staff will be expected to train their WNS replacements. The FSU is working hard with our members across the finance and insurance industry to lobby state and federal politicians and create community awareness around this offshoring issue. Suncorp is highly profitable and has gained from the extensive knowledge and hard work of Australian staff, who should not be expendable in Patrick Snowballs' pursuit of cost reductions. "Like" the  Keep Suncorp Jobs in Oz facebook page and call the FSU Member Rights Centre on  1300 366 378 if you see any scoping activities in your work place. Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.fsunion.org.au/News-Views/CBA-FSU-members-WIN-on.aspx Yesterday a delegation of FSU CBA Workplace Reps and Union officials met with CBA to hear the bank’s response to the concerns about targets that had been raised by more than 600 FSU members. At an earlier meeting on 10 January, the same delegation of FSU Reps relayed a significant number of real life stories about the struggles and pressures CBA retail bankers are facing on a daily basis trying to reach targets. It was the magnitude and severity of those real life stories that had a huge impact and in the end made the difference.  Real time adjustment to targets for leave and working in other roles Targets will be adjusted for periods of approved leave including annual leave, long service leave, extended sick leave, work injuries. Also, if you are working in  a different position for a period of time, your targets should be suspended for that period and you should instead have the  targets for the position you are working in. Adjustments for leave begin immediately and your targets should be adjusted for these things in your upcoming half yearly review. The leader board The leader board is gone! To recognise high sales achievers, it will be replaced with a list of the top 5% in each area. More work to do The bank did acknowledge there were problems with Minimum Daily Goals (MDGs), they believe this is more about implementation than with the process itself. If you believe that MDGs are unfairly implemented in your workplace, you need to speak to your rep or contact the union office. CBA would not agree to reduce individual targets as they believe that as most staff are meeting them they are set at the right level. If you disagree or need advice or assistance about your individual circumstances, contact the FSU Member Rights Centre on 1300 366 378. Your support needed! This is an outstanding win for CBA FSU members and is a testament to the strength and collective power of FSU members who signed letters of dispute and those who told their individual stories to the bank. Without that action improvements to targets at CBA would not have been achieved. If you’re not an FSU member join the winning team today and support those who are making real improvements to the everyday working lives of people at CBA. Join online or call 1300 366 378. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.fsunion.org.au/News-Views/Suncorp-Appeal-FWA-Decision.aspx Suncorp argue no legal obligation in Enterprise Agreement to provide a safe and healthy work environment The FSU took Suncorp to Fair Work Australia (FWA) over whether staff can use the dispute procedure in the Suncorp Enterprise Agreement 2011 to resolve their bullying and harassment workplace issues. In a great win for all Suncorp staff nationally, FWA agreed with the FSU's assessment that Suncorp under clause 23 of the Agreement have a legal obligation to provide a "safe and healthy work environment for employees". How far will Suncorp go to avoid binding commitments to your health and safety? Suncorp are now appealing the tribunal's decision and are arguing amongst other things that the Enterprise Agreement's health and safety clause is merely aspirational and does not give rise to a legal obligation. If Suncorp's argument succeeds, it would mean that any dispute under the Suncorp Agreement about occupational health and safety could not be taken to Fair Work Australia. The FSU will return to FWA to try and stop Suncorp from eroding your legal right to a safe and healthy workplace. The FSU helps protect the rights of insurance and finance workers across the industry. The more members we have, the stronger we are. Talk to your Suncorp colleagues about joining today. Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.fsunion.org.au/News-Views/53-billion-reasons-why-ANZ.aspx Yesterday ANZ began announcing to staff within Australian Operations and Commercial Banking that they will be restructuring the business with the loss of up to 133 jobs. ANZ have also advised that this is the first of a series of announcements regarding job losses that will occur in the first half of this year which will result in hundreds of jobs disappearing from its Australian workforce. Whilst the FSU acknowledges that the market is slowing and the business environment is unpredictable, we do not agree with the banks decision to cut jobs as a way of reducing costs. In the tough environment of 2011, ANZ recorded a record profit of $5.3 billion and it seems ANZ will slash jobs to protect another record profit in 2012. FSU calls on ANZ to find other ways to trim their budget and minimise the impact on their dedicated staff.  If you are directly affected by these restructures, your ANZ Enterprise Agreement sets out your entitlements to Redeployment, Retrenchment and Redundancy provisions. In the event that you lose your job you are also entitled to access to the ANZ Training Fund which makes available up to $10,000 towards acquiring new skills to gain future employment. If you need more information or assistance, please contact the Member Rights Centre on 1300 366 378. Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.fsunion.org.au/News-Views/Enterprise-Agreement-for-IAG-employees.aspx Updated conditions take effect 1 February 2012 The union negotiated Enterprise Agreement voted up in December has been approved by Fair Work Australia. The Agreement, and the conditions contained in it, take effect on 1 February 2012. This approval formalises the annual safety net increase for the vast majority of IAG staff who are achieving expectations in their roles, in conjunction with the guaranteed pool allocation of 3% for 2012. It also means that IAG employees can now access higher loadings for Sunday work, more paid parental leave, and mid service leave for employees with 7, 8 or 9 years' service. With mid-year reviews starting in March this year, it's a good idea to familiarise yourself with the provisions in the Agreement around steps you can take if you don't agree with your review outcome, or if you have concerns about the process. Shortly the FSU will make material available to members to guide you through the Agreement, and help you get the most from it.   Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.fsunion.org.au/News-Views/Bendigo-and-Adelaide-Bank-Enterprise.aspx The FSU, ASU and bargaining reps met again with the bank in December and we are pleased to say that the bank has improved on its original offer. The new offer has gone a long way to addressing all the key issues that members have told us are important to them. PAY 1st year - 4% across the board increase for all staff plus a bonus pool of 1% of the value of staff salaries. This change is significant as an increase to base salaries means you get a compounding effect of the increase in future years, rather than a one off bonus. 2nd and 3rd year - 3.5% plus a bonus pool of 1.5% each year. It is important to note that Bendigo and Adelaide Bank is one of the few banks in Australia that does not link any part of staff salary increase to performance. Saturday Loadings The Bank has agreed to introduce a 50% loading for work on Saturday mornings, this was a major issue for part time members and brings the bank into line with industry standards. Staffing and Workloads The Bank has agreed to include a clause in the agreement committing it to addressing the impact staffing levels and workloads are having on staff. Union Rights For the first time the unions will be recognised in the agreement and union reps will get access to time to be trained. What we didn’t get The bank has not agreed to increase its contribution to staff superannuation, they believe the current contribution is adequate and would prefer to wait for the changes that the Federal Government are in the process of introducing that will see contributions eventually move to 12%. We meet again at the end of January to finalise the agreement in preparation for the employee ballot. Before then we are keen to hear your thoughts on proposed offer as stated above. Pease e-mail us at ebfeedback@fsunion.org.au or DAnthony@asu-sant.asn.au . Authorised by: FSU National Secretary Leon Carter and Katrine Hildyard, Branch Secretary and Ian Steel, Branch Assistant Secretary ASU SA & NT Branch Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.fsunion.org.au/News-Views/CBA-Targets-Dispute-Update-Delegation.aspx Bank response due in one week A delegation of FSU Reps met with the CBA Head of Retail Banking Lyn McGrath and other bank representatives yesterday to discuss the concerns about targets raised by more than 600 members in New South Wales and Queensland. During the two hour meeting the FSU Reps relayed a significant number of actual accounts of the struggles and pressures CBA retail bankers are facing on a daily basis trying to reach the individual targets and achieve CES results. The Reps talked about the constant pressure of MDGs and the negative impact that the leader board can have on how people believe they are perceived when adjustments to targets aren’t made until the end of the performance year, if at all. The magnitude and severity of some of the real experiences of FSU members at CBA was such that the bank representatives appeared quite concerned and taken aback by the powerful stories they heard. The delegation put four asks on CBA: 1.  A reduction in individual targets 2.  A real time adjustments to absences from the normal role, either leave or      performing other roles 3.  Elimination of MDGs 4.  Elimination of the leaderboard CBA has agreed to respond to these specific requests within a week. The 600+ members who are part of this dispute can take comfort in the fact that they were ably represented by seven FSU Reps from the Central Coast, Newcastle and the Sydney CBD. The Reps were very well prepared, confident and united. Your FSU Reps: Louise Arnfield -  Central Coast Carol Dougherty - McArthur Mashala Khali - Bankstown Kerina Marshall - Newcastle Dwayne O’Carroll - Mid West Paul Pattra - CBD Patty Spanoudakis - Hurstville FSU will be in touch with members again after CBA responds. In the meantime, stay strong and united. Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.fsunion.org.au/News-Views/Westpac-Enterprise-Agreement-Delivers-New.aspx Westpac employees will be receiving a pay increase on 12 January 2012. This increase is the third and final pay increase provided for under the Westpac Enterprise Agreement 2010 which was negotiated on your behalf by the FSU. The performance based pay increase will deliver a minimum 4% pay increase for those staff rated Effective or higher, and a 2% increase for those rated Needs Development. Packaged employees will be receiving a pay increase from a 4% salary pool. If you do not agree with your performance assessment, or have received the wrong pay increase for your performance outcome, contact the FSU Member Rights Centre for assistance. The Westpac Enterprise Agreement 2010 expires at the end of December 2012. Negotiations for a new agreement will begin in the later half of 2012. To ensure that benefits like this are maintained and improved in the next Agreement, make sure you are part of the team that works to make this happen – the FSU. If you are not already a member you can join online here. If you are an FSU member, talk to your work colleagues about the FSU and encourage them to join. Remember, the more members working together the greater the rewards. Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT