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“One day they pulled me into the office and said, ‘You have been in this branch too long and we are transferring you out tomorrow’.” 

That was the news our FSU member received out of the blue from her area manager, despite giving 14 years of loyal service to the bank branch. 

“I just sat there feeling shocked. There was no reasoning behind it.” 

To make matters worse, the branch where she was to be relocated was an hour’s bus commute away. Her current branch is a 10-minute drive from home. 

“My elderly parents live two doors down from me,” she explained.  

“I cook and clean for them, I do their laundry, I help them make bookings. I need to have access to my car at work in case I ever need to leave quickly, which has happened before when my mum had a fall.” 

Despite the member explaining all this to her manager, it fell on deaf ears. 

‘I was never a fighter’ 

“Because I’d always felt so loyal to the bank, I never thought I’d need to call the union. 

“But that’s what I did, and they were fantastic.  

“Once I started speaking to them I felt much calmer. They responded daily to my requests and assured me that we had multiple avenues to pursue to get a fair outcome.” 

The FSU insisted that the transfer process be stopped, and after months of delays from management, the decision was finally overturned. 

Despite never expecting to find herself in such a position, our member said the experience changed her perspective on both her employer and the FSU. 

“The union gave me a different perspective on things.  

“I was never a fighter, I would’ve just backed off and gone, but the union helped me take it further and win.” 

In fact, it inspired her to recruit more of her colleagues to the union – making her branch even stronger and better protected! 

If you’ve been treated unfairly at work, help is available. Contact us on 1300 366 378 or email [email protected].