BNZ Update
7 September 2007
KEY POINT:
- BNZ supports all workers' right to join a union and to join Finsec's campaign for fairer targets, more staff and better pay.
ACTION:
Delegates - Please assure all members and non-members at your worksite or branch that BNZ supports their legal and moral right to belong to Finsec if they choose. Joining Finsec is the best way to let the bank know they support fairer targets, more staff and better pay. They can join Finsec at online
"Our people can join and be represented by a union without suffering any form of discrimination or prejudice."
NAG Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2006
Your right to join Finsec
Some people have been telling us that even though they agree with our goals of fairer targets, more staff and better pay, they are not sure whether to join Finsec or not because they are worried the bank does not want them to join.
Luckily the opposite is true. The BNZ and the National Australia Bank Group, which owns the BNZ, supports workers' rights choose to belong to Finsec.
It does this in two ways:
1 By meeting its requirements under the Employment Relations Act 2000 (ERA). The ERA says no one may, in relation to employment issues, confer any preference or apply any undue influence, directly or indirectly, on another person because the other person is or is not a member of a union.
That means your manager can't tell you not to join or place undue influence on you not to join.
The ERA also places a good faith obligation on employers to recognise the role of unions in promoting their members' collective employment interests. It confers on unions the right to represent their members in collective bargaining and provides representatives with reasonable access to workplaces for purposes related to employment and union business, including talking to non-members about joining.
2 By its commitment to the National Australia Group Global Engagement Agreement [pdf file] with the unions it deals with. The global agreement reads:
"Union representatives' roles will be encouraged, valued and supported as a key component of the engagement strategy. The Unions and the National Australia Group will respect an individual's right to choice and all employees will be treated with fairness and respect."
All Finsec is trying to do is talk to members and non-members about the things we think will improve the BNZ, both for customers and staff. These things are improved staffing, fairer targets and better industry standard pay.
From the Union Council
