What is in an industry plan?
Our industry plan establishes a set of goals that are common to all of us and that we want to achieve across our industry. It is a road map that sets out the issues we want to focus on and the steps we need to take to achieve these goals.
What sort of problems will the industry plan aim to fix?
Finsec members have achieved a lot over recent years. Our new approach to campaigning has meant that all the banks are watching us to see what is coming next! We believe that the Best of Both campaign in ANZ National helped deliver a fairer pay system in Westpac, and likewise the Westpac campaign against targets last year helped ensure a fair new pay system in ANZ National this year. But there are still some big issues that are common across all banks that need fixing. If we work together we have the best chance of introducing industry-wide standards around issues like pay and pay systems, targets, under staffing, stress, investment in staff training, and investment in high quality customer service.
Can’t I just work on the problems in my own workplace?
You can, but experience shows us that we have more strength when we work together. We know that we can’t change an issue with an employer just by working on that issue in one work site – we need everyone in the bank to work together to win changes. Likewise if the problems are big and affect everyone across the banking industry then we need all Finsec members to work together on an industry basis to persuade all employers to fix the problems.
Do I have to go to the union meeting to discuss the plan? I’m pretty busy at work after all.
YES!. These are important meetings where you get to have your say on what the issues are, how you think we should try and fix them and how you want Finsec to operate in the future. Being a part of this discussion is not just your right, it’s an essential part of working together. Every member is legally entitled to attend and you will be paid whilst doing so. We know it can be busy and it’s difficult to get away from work but it’s worth spending a small amount of time (in the big scheme of things) agreeing on the way forward – isn’t it?
Is this plan going to increase our membership fee?
No. Last time all Finsec members got together we talked about the state of our union and voted on a fee increase to ensure Finsec remained viable. This time it is not about survival but about moving forward with a campaign to win ’Better Banks‘ for us and our customers.
Can non-members be involved?
Yes they can, but they have to join Finsec to be able to come to the meeting. We do need to become stronger and grow our membership right across the industry and we need people who are non-members to join us. That means involving them in everything we do in a positive way, as well as encouraging them to join us in resolving the issues we work on.
Ok, so how do I get to go to a meeting?
We will be sending a list of all the meetings to every worksite next week. You will need to have a look at the list to see what meetings are best for members in your work site to attend. You will need to split attendance at the meetings between the union members in your site to avoid unnecessary disruption to the work. Remember though that there will be some disruption, which is a normal part of any workplace and it is legal. Don’t forget to tell each member which meeting they are scheduled to attend. Once you have done this, fill in the form (
pdf file 58kb) that will be with the meeting list and fax it back to Finsec. Remember that your manager cannot say that you are not allowed to attend. If you have any problems please contact your local Finsec office.
