ANZ has approached the Finance Sector Union with a view to finalising 2022 pay rises for around 20,000 Australian staff, but says it is not ready to enter full-blown enterprise talks with the union.
Relations between the union and the bank have been strained in the last five years after ANZ decided in 2017 not to renegotiate an enterprise deal that was struck in 2015.
Since that time the bank has been varying the 2015 deal and granting annual pay rises through direct agreement with staff.
An ANZ spokesperson confirmed to Banking Day on Wednesday that the company was already in discussions with the union about pay, although it had no plans to immediately open a formal bargaining process for a new enterprise deal.
“Discussions are ongoing regarding pay for 2022 for our employees eligible for pay increases under our existing Enterprise Bargaining Agreement,” the ANZ spokesperson said.
“We have indicated to the FSU that due to a new payroll system upgrade, our preference is not to renegotiate an EBA this year.
“Instead we proposed a consultation framework that involves input from the FSU on an appropriate pay increase.”
Although the bank has not ruled out renegotiating the enterprise agreement next year, the union is demanding that the 2022 pay adjustment be part of a formal bargaining process.
In a memo sent to ANZ members this week, the FSU said the bank’s decision to defer enterprise talks showed no respect to staff.
“ANZ show their staff no respect by avoiding your right to bargain and ultimately have a vote on whether what they are offering is good enough or not,” the union told ANZ members.
“Anything outside of a bargaining process is simply a unilateral decision of ANZ and they remain in total control with no requirement to consult, update or improve your workplace rights.”
The union argues that the 2015 agreement is out of date because it does not include conditions covering workplace changes such as working from home.
“Bargaining is an opportunity to include clauses that give you protections and flexibility in the way you work from home, including a right to disconnect from work,” the union stated in the memo.
“This is just one example of where your conditions of employment will be falling behind your peers in other finance companies and that just isn’t good enough.”
The union confirmed that it had advised the bank it would be seeking a six per cent pay rise for staff this year.
The ANZ spokesperson said the bank had not communicated a formal pay offer.
“ANZ has not yet put forward a pay position and will continue dialogue with the union around pay for 2022,” the spokesperson said.
“We will also directly respond to the FSU request for a 6 per cent pay rise in due course.”
The bank maintains that it has improved working conditions and pay of staff outside of the enterprise bargaining system since 2017.
“ANZ has a proven track record of delivering a range of benefits for our staff without the need to formally renegotiate the EBA,” the spokesperson said.
“For example, over the past