A.N.Z. willing to offer old rates; action continues

Press, 4 October 1977, Page 1

A.N.Z. willing to offer old rates; action continues

The management of the troubled Australia and New Zealand banking group has put out a feeler to try to end the dispute with its officers which has closed more than half its branches throughout New Zealand.

The secretary of the Bank Officers’ Union (Mr D. Aimer) told a meeting of bank officers in Christchurch resterday that the move had come' from the New Zealand manager of the group (Mr B. B. Dickinson) about 4 p.m. yesterday.

Mr Aimer said that the management had told the union that it was now prepared to negotiate with the domestic committee of the union on the issue of its revised staff loans policy.

“Mr Dickinson said that the management is prepared to move the interest loans back to the position they were at under the old policy, as a gesture of good will, provided the bank officers return to work tomorrow (Tuesday),” said Mr Aimer. A.N.Z. bank officers in Christchurch will meet at 9 a.m. today to discuss the management’s offer. Wellington bank officers employed by the A.N.Z. group voted at a meeting yesterday to accept the request by their employers to return to work. It was not clear last evening whether the officers had agreed to an unconditional return or were returning on the understanding that their ban on certain duties would continue until their dispute was resolved. But Mr Aimer warned the officers in Christchurch

yesterday that meetings of A.N.Z. employees a week ago had resolved that they were prepared to resume full duties only when the company withdrew its total policy and was prepared to enter meaningful negotiations with the union.

"Mr Dickinson’s offer doesn’t meet these conditions,” said Mr Aimer. “Our message is for you to stand firm and wait for Mr Dickinson to reply to that resolution and request for proper negotiations and a withdrawal of the policy.”

The meeting of about 200 bank officers, about two thirds of whom were A.N.Z. officers, voted its full support for the negotiating body of the union to ensure the wishes of the A.N.Z. staff were met fully.

Mr Aimer assured the meeting that there was no question of a general strike in support by other banks. A meeting of the union’s executive council on Friday had ruled out this possibility, he said. Only that council had the authority to call a strike, he said. Mr Aimer said that the A.N.Z. bank management had been calling the action by its officers a strike, but in the view of the union it was only a strike because of the “repressive” amendment to the Industrial Relations Act last year. The amendment extended the definition of "strike” to include a reduction in the normal output of work. “The officers are prepared to do almost all the work, and their action was chosen so that customers would not be involved. As

far as we are concerned the employers have suspended them for failing to do certain duties,” he said.

Asked by an officer what they should do if asked today to return to work, Mr Aimer advised that they should stay out unless the bank made it clear that they would not be required to perform the duties that they had resolved to ban. "The terms of the resolution have not been met. Under these circumstances the answer is not to return to work until directed to by the union,” said Mr Aimer.

Notices on bank doors yesterday explained that the banks were closed because of “industrial action.”

The Greymouth manager (Mr, B. Gemhoefer) said yesterday that his branch was trading as usual.

However, 40 of the bank’s 147 branches closed their doors yesterday, the Press Association reports.

Between 600 and 700 bank officers have been suspended for refusing certain duties and putting themselves technically •on strike. Mr Dickinson said there was no service the bank could not provide. Since Thursday bank officers have refused to work on the bank’s annual balance, all regular internal returns, and international transactions. They have also refused actively to market the bank’s services.

Bank management and executive staff are filling in and doing those duties usually performed by the suspended bank officers to

keep a service to the public going. Mr Dickinson said that although the bank was coping, facilities were stretched.

The union’s assistant secretary, Mr K. C. Bunker, said the bank was deliberately escalating the dispute by suspending staff. The staff had no intention of involving the public in the dispute and regretted any inconvenience caused by the management’s decision to suspend them.

The $lOO,OOO appeal launched over the weekend to support the suspended bank officers was growing.

Money was coming from private citizens as well as bank officers from other banking groups. Mr Bunker expected the first payouts from the fund to come towards the end of the week. By then those suspended during the first two days of the direct action would have been off pay for at least a week.

Other trading banks would try to provide essential banking services for A.N.Z. customers, Mr W. J. Gough, the chairman of the Bankers’ Association, said yesterday. Mr Gough said there could be delays in processing lodgements made at other trading banks and the clearance of cheques and dishonoured items through lack of staff resources.

Mr Gough said the Bank Officers’ Union had indicated it would place no restriction on staff in other banks accepting transactions for A.N.Z. customers.