24 Dec 2014

ANZ workers in protest over pay

6:56 pm on 24 December 2014

The ANZ bank says only 10 per cent of union staff have stayed away during a fresh round of industrial action by FIRST union members.

The union said about 500 branch and call centre staff were striking today as part of a pay dispute.

But the bank said only 110 unionised members had joined the strike.

FIRST Union said staff want an across-the-board 5 percent pay-rise, and ANZ was refusing to move from its current offer

Union organiser Tali Williams said staff were on strike across the country on what was traditionally a busy day for banks.

She said workers wanted to get the bank back to the bargaining table.

ANZ said the action was the union's latest attempt to disrupt the bank and is not supported by most union members.

It said its offer would keep staff on the industry's highest salaries.

The bank said today's action echoed what it called the bad old days, of unions taking action to disrupt services just before holidays.