(download a printable version of this document including collective letter and faxback sheet 
PDF file 296kb)
Introduction
Dear BNZ members,
Pre-negotiation meetings start
In this pack are instructions on how to run a pre-negotiation meeting in your site.
The bank has allocated all sites 30 minutes to run these meetings.
Finsec organisers will be running meetings in back offices, call centres and some branches. Delegates will need to run meetings in the remaining branches. Please talk to your local manager about what date and time is going to work best to hold this meeting in your site.
All meetings must be run by Thursday 11 October. BNZ has agreed to these meetings being held.
Finsec’s and BNZ’s claims
A summary of Finsec’s claims is enclosed in this pack. Please distribute this information to all workers in your site. We will fax a summary of the bank’s claims to all worksites and branches on Monday 1 October.
Negotiations are only a week and a half away
We are now only a week and a half away from collective agreement negotiations with BNZ. We need to make sure that we are in a strong negotiating position. The key to being in a strong negotiating position is to have as many BNZ staff as possible belonging to Finsec.
We need to recruit to win
Recruitment in BNZ has been increasing. We are growing, but we need to bring this home in the final week and a bit before negotiations.
Please let all non-members know about negotiations, Finsec’s claims and the BNZ’s claims. It is vital that all staff come on board and support fair targets, better staffing, pay parity and no reductions to our terms and conditions. Please use the recruitment kit we have already sent to help you talk to non-members in your work site.
If you have any questions about the meetings please get in contact either with your local organiser, or Finsec Advocate, Bella Pardoe on 027 547 6685, or Finsec Campaigns Director, Andrew Campbell on 027 548 7006, or call 0800 FINSEC.
Regards,
Callum Francis, Chair of the BNZ Union Council
Meeting instructions
Delegates please read these instructions carefully before running a meeting on your site
1. Make sure that all union members are aware of and attend the meeting.
The meetings for BNZ branches will be half an hour long. You will need to talk to your manager about what date and time will be best to run the meeting in your site. You will then need to advise all the Finsec members in your site of the meetings and make sure that they attend.
Finsec organisers will be in touch with delegates in back office and call centres to set up meetings times. Organisers will be able to run some branch meetings. If an organiser is running the meeting in your site you will still need to let all the members know the time and date of this meeting and do the preparatory work.
Please inform members that we are only a week and a half away from bargaining and that all members need to be participating in union activities, such as this meeting.
2. Give ALL staff a copy of the summary of Finsec and BNZ claims today.
We need all BNZ staff to be aware of the things that we want to change at this year’s negotiations. Non-members also need to know about this.
Hand out to staff the claims summaries (Finsec’s and BNZ’s) prior to the meeting so they know what is being discussed. You will need to run off copies of the summary on your photocopier at work.
3. Read over materials and prepare for the meeting.
You are not expected to be an expert in this meeting, your role is to facilitate the meeting and after the meeting fill in and send back the fax back sheet.
The meeting has been written as a series of questions to prompt discussion.
4. Contact us if you have any questions.
If you have any questions about the meetings please get in contact either with your local organiser, or Finsec Advocate, Bella Pardoe on 027 547 6685, or Finsec Campaigns Director, Andrew Campbell on 027 548 7006, or call 0800 FINSEC.
Pre-negotiation meeting plan
Introduction
Finsec members are campaigning to achieve four objectives in this year’s negotiations with the bank; a review of the target system to make it fairer, review staffing levels to stop the ongoing reduction in overall staffing numbers, pay parity with other banks through a market leading pay increase and adding an additional service based step to each job after 5 years and to stop reductions to our terms and conditions.
Finsec claims
Do you have any questions about our claims?
(Refer to the claims summary if there are any questions or get the full details of our claim at the Finsec website)
Which of these claims do you think is the most important?
Record on the fax back form the claim that is most important to workers in your site.
BNZ claims
The BNZ has put forward a large number of claims this year. The Union Council believes that 37 of the claims make significant changes to our collective agreement and many worsen our terms and conditions.
Do you have any questions about the bank’s claims?
Which of the claims are you most worried about or opposed to?
In the fax back sheet list up to five issues that staff in your site are most concerned about.
Are there any claims that you are comfortable with?
In the fax back sheet record any of the banks claims that members are ok with?
What we need to do to win
Our claims for this year’s bargaining are significant - they are big industry wide issues. To win them will require high levels of support from all BNZ staff. This means we need to grow our membership and level of member activity.
What can we do between now to grow our union membership levels in this site before bargaining (discuss)?
All sites are being asked to sign a collective letter to show our support for our claims. It is important we all sign this. I am going to hand it around now and get everyone here to sign it. We can ask non-members to sign it too.
Thank everyone for attending and fill in the fax back form and send it to Finsec on 04 385 2214
Summary of Finsec claims
Targets
Remove the pressure and focus on customer service
Finsec proposes a joint working group between Finsec and the bank to review targets and the impact these are having on workers and on customer service. We believe that there are lots of different problems with the target system that need to be looked into. This review will include meetings held around the country with BNZ workers to discuss and provide feedback on all the changes you would like to see to improve the target system and make it fairer. The working party will make recommendations and any agreed outcomes will be subject to a ratification ballot of members.
Staffing
Reduce turnover and increase workforce stability
Finsec is proposing two changes that we believe will improve staffing at the bank. The first is to give staff the right to be consulted about the need to replace staff when they leave the bank. This gives you a say in staffing levels and throws a spotlight on the practice of reducing staffing by not replacing staff when they leave.
We are also seeking a broad review of staffing across the bank that will look into ways of improving resourcing. Teams of BNZ and Finsec representatives will review staffing in understaffed “hot spots” to assess what needs to be done to make sure the BNZ turns around a major understaffing problem.
Pay and term
Fair industry pay to live a decent kiwi lifestyle
Finsec is proposing a 4.5% increase for everyone to all salaries and allowances for a one year term (1 November 2007 to 31 October 2008). Our proposed pay increase would apply to all staff regardless of their performance rating.
We are also proposing an extra step for roles in the bank in recognition of service and to bring salaries in line with similar roles in other banks. This would be applied after 5 years service with the bank. This step will provide base pay parity for BNZ workers with workers in other banks.
Coverage
Let anyone who wants to, be covered by the CEA
Finsec proposes that all Personal Managers, casual staff and fixed term employees be allowed to be covered by the collective agreement and have the ability to join with other workers to campaign for better terms and conditions. Bringing these workers into the collective agreement will also mean that they are afforded a right – the right to collectively negotiate their terms and conditions. It’s about fairness for all.
Workers’ and Union Rights
Opportunity, time and strength to build a Better Bank
Our claim is to give Finsec representatives in the BNZ the same rights that fellow representatives in Westpac are afforded by that bank. This includes the right for delegates and union councillors to have allocated time off to undertake union work.
We are also seeking to be able to provide new staff with basic information about joining Finsec and to provide new staff with the opportunity to make an informed decision about joining the union by being granted access to induction sessions.
Administration change
Finsec proposes a technical change to the application clause which ensures all employees are covered by the collective agreement. The way in which the current application clause is written is not lawful.
