20 August 2007
Finsec proposes ANZ and logging protesters meet
ANZ Bank workers, from the bank workers' union Finsec, are calling on the bank to respond positively to the protest outside ANZ Lambton Quay yesterday that criticised the bank for funding deforestation in Papua New Guinea.
ANZ worker and Finsec Deputy President, Kelvin Pycroft, is offering to facilitate a meeting between the bank and the protest groups to work towards ending the bank's funding of environmentally destructive logging in Papua New Guinea.
"We understand that our employer, ANZ Bank, provides funding to Rimbunan Hijau, a huge logging company operating in Papua New Guinea who is accused of environmental and human rights abuses. We want to help our bank find a better way to do business and we're willing to play a role in facilitating that."
Rimbunan Hijau is accused by independent observers and agencies of illegally logging the largest intact rainforest in the Asia/Pacific region - an area big enough to cover New Zealand.
The forest is home to the majority of the 5 million people in Papua New Guinea. It contains over 15,000 plant species. The company is accused of using torture, assault and unlawful detention to drive people off the land it wants to log and subjecting its employees to abusive working conditions.
Note: a letter from Finsec Deputy President, Kelvin Pycroft, to ANZ National CEO, Graham Hodges, outlining Finsec's call for the bank to meet with logging protesters is available.
