The Guardian 6 December, 2006
CBA attacks workers' rights
Australia's largest bank launched a WorkChoices offensive last week — denying staff time
off to attend Thursday's Your Rights at Work rallies and introducing a standard, bank-wide
AWA (individual employment contract) which drastically reduces conditions.
The Finance Sector Union (FSU) had written to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)
requesting permission for staff to take time off to attend the union-organised day of action against
the new IR laws. Permission was denied, said FSU National Secretary Paul Schroder.
In the same week, the bank began offering new and existing staff an AWA that does away with a
raft of long-held award conditions including overtime payments, shift penalties, weekend and public
holiday loadings and rostered days off. Adding insult to injury, there was no guarantee of a pay rise
for five years!
It also waters down redundancy and parental leave rights and gives the employer carte blanche
over work duties, hours and location.
By its actions, as the largest employer in the finance sector, the CBA will create pressure on other
competing banks to also cut by attacking employees' conditions.
"It is a wake up call to all people working in the finance industry, who until now may have thought
they were immune from the laws", said Mr Schroder.
The bank made it clear to the union that the AWA meets the legal requirements of the Federal
Government's anti-worker WorkChoices legislation.
The union is calling on the bank to withdraw the AWAs and advising all members not to sign any
AWA without first consulting their union, he said.
The ACTU also attacked the Commonwealth Bank's introduction of AWAs and challenged the bank
to conduct a staff ballot over whether workers want an individual job contract or a collective
agreement.
"The Commonwealth Bank is one of Australia's biggest and most profitable companies. It made
nearly $4 billion profit last year and employs 35,000 staff around Australia", said ACTU Secretary
Greg Combet.
"It is unnecessary and unacceptable that hard working employees in bank branches as well as in
call centres and back-office operations are facing major cuts to their basic job conditions. But that
is exactly what big companies are being encouraged to do under the Federal Government's IR
laws."
With maternity leave at the employer's discretion, the removal of standard hours of work and
employer control over work location, the biggest losers under the AWAs will be workers with family
responsibilities.
With the possibility of an ALP victory in the federal elections next year, there may be a rush of
employers seeking to lock workers into five-year AWAs in expectation of its repeal or reform. It is
still not clear whether the new leader Kevin Rudd will reiterate former leader Kim Beazley's promise
to rip up WorkChoices.