Bank men get concessions

Press, 5 October 1977, Page 6

Bank men get concessions

PA Wellington The A.N.Z. Bank has agreed to delay raising the! interest rates on staff loans, and to discuss the rates with I staff representatives. As a result between 600; and 700 A.N.Z. bank officers j — suspended over the last] four days for refusing cer-1 tain duties — returned to j work yesterday afternoon. The back-to-work formula; was worked out at a meeting of the Bank Officers’ Union, and A.N.Z. management. Both parties made concessions. The bank agreed not to introduce a new scheme until ; October 31 and to negotiate

it with staff representatives. The union dropped its demand that the bank negoI tiate with the union and instead the bank will meet a committee of A.N.Z. staff members, although the union ■ will nominate the committee. . The question of payment I for bank officers during their strike has not been settled. I The secretary of rhe Bank Officers’ Union (Mr W. D. i Aimer) said the bank was not : prepared to pay the officers i for that time. The union will considei • the question over the next few days. > In the meantime, some ' officers suspended for a week > or more have asked for money

i from the special “suspended si officers’ welfare account” - opened in Wellington. 1 The union launched at $lOO,OOO fund to pay officers f when it looked as if the disi pute could be a long one. Money already collected t would be given to those in r need of financial help, said . Mr Aimer. d The bank’s general i. (manager for New Zealand t[(Mr B. B. Dickinson) said the s (objectives of the new staff .lending policy remained. r| But he had agreed to waive t(the interest rate increases ■ until October 31 to see what ei negotiations with the staff c i representatives brought y! forth.