BANK OFFICIALS’ UNION WANTS BETTER PAY

Grey River Argus, 7 September 1948, Page 5

BANK OFFICIALS’ UNION WANTS BETTER PAY

Application For N.Z. Industrial Agreement P.A. WELLINGTON, Sept. 6 The recently formed New Zealand Bank Officials’ Industrial Union, to-day applied to the Conciliation Commissioner, Mr S. Ritchie for an industrial agreement under the I.C. and A. Act, covering salaries and conditions. The union in its application stressed disadvantages of 'banking employees under to-day’s conditions. Alter tne reading of lengthy submissions by the employees’ advocate, Mr C. A. R. Brunt (secretary of the Bank Officers’. Guild), and a reply and counterproposals by the New Zealand Trading Banks’ representative, Mr W. J. Mountjoy, the delegates proceeded to discuss the proposals in detail. The union in its submissions contended that New Zealand bank officers were worse off than any of their conferees overseas, both as regards rates of remuneration and conditions of service generally. . DEMAND OF THE UNION The main proposals by the employees are a £6oo salary scale over a period of twenty-one years and a £360 scale for females to .be readied in tne twelith year of service; special salaries for managers and accountants; allowances to senior oincers aner completion of a certain number of years beyond the salary scale; the retention of the existing margins; retrospective payment to April 1 of this year; increased overtime payment, anu the establishment of a promotion anu disciplinary appeal board. EMPLOYERS' MARGIN ’The employers., counter-proposals provided ror a salary of in the eighteenth year, for males, and £3OO for females in the eighth year, and various amendments and new conditions relating to service and overtime. It was contended by the union that the banks could easily pay the increased rates. It was suggested that the-trading banks might charge their customers for certain banking services, as was done in England and other countries. a serious disadvantage in employment m banks, said Mr Brunt, was its □peciaiisea service, which meant that tnere was no competition for the services of senior offices, and this largely explained the reason for the relatively low salaries or executive banking officers. The question of compulsory transfer was another disadvantage, he said, while the conditions a junior was asked to sign on commencing work were "literally unbenevaoie." Dealing with the salaries of managers, Mr Brunt said that many managers were “grossly under-paid” and were receiving a less net salary than many years ago. . .u Mr Mountjoy m reply, said that the trading banks over the last twenty years had offered conditions that had oeen sought alter by the workers. The loss of staff by resignation had been very small, wnile the Bank of New Zealand had, in the last two years, increased it staff by two hundred and sixty. Over the last eight years, the bank officers had had their salaries increased by thirty-one per cent, me salaries were based similarly to those of the Public Service. . “The staffs of the trading banks in New Zealand total four thousand five hundred. Of tijese,.only 2188 voted on the question of whether or not claims for an award should be filed, and of that number only 1295 voted for the matter to be referred to the Conciliation Council, and 893 voted against being taken,” said Mr Mountjov “The total of those bank officers who voted for these proceedings represent less than one-third of those employed by the six trading banks. These are facts that cannot be overlooked when asking why bank officers are seeking an award of the Court of Arbitration. The answer is that the law permits a minority in an industry to form a workers’ union and thus to control the position, irrespective of the wishes of the majority, said Mr Mountjoy.