The strike action will be held next week
Hundreds of Westpac workers around New Zealand will go on a strike next week over the bank’s pay offer.
The strike action was voted by more than 800 FIRST Union members, after rejecting a pay offer following five months of bargaining.
Bill Bradford, FIRST Union organiser, said members would nationally withdraw their labour during specific time slots on July 9, with some branches voting to take full-day strike action. The specific times and any further dates would be announced in the coming days.
“Westpac workers have had a guts-full of being given the runaround by billionaire bank bosses and are sick of waiting for progress in pay negotiations,” Bradford said.
“Westpac took a billion dollars of Kiwis’ money in profit last year and sent it offshore to shareholders while simultaneously fighting to keep their own workers’ pay rises well below the cost of living. Our members want real pay talks that progress rather than regress, and they want to be rewarded for their fair share of big profits after a decade of stalled wages."
The union members would hold an additional vote this week on further partial strike action related to their social media restrictions, Bradford said.
“Workers should be free to share their opinions about low pay and conditions at work publicly without fear of disciplinary action,” he said.
Bradford said there’s a reason why the average Kiwi isn’t particularly keen on banks – and it’s being exemplified on how these institutions deal with their own staff.
“As one of the richest and most profitable companies operating in New Zealand, they have a moral and social obligation to support the communities they serve and profit from by investing in people,” Bradford said. “That must start with the people who live in those communities and work for Westpac but are struggling to pay their rents and mortgages and eat properly at the moment.”
Further details on next week’s strike actions will be provided in the coming days.
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