Several banks are seeking more flexible rostering arrangements for weekend work, with an application to review the industrial award covering the industry. Banks propose to define normal time to include time worked on any day, the Financial Review reported.
GE Money is a party to the application alongside ANZ, Commonwealth Bank, NAB and Westpac, the
Financial Review reported.
The employment terms of most bank staff in Australia are governed by enterprise agreements rather than awards, with those agreements all recently renegotiated - in some cases for the first time in many years - under reforms to industrial relations laws adopted three years ago.
Some of those agreements already provide the flexibility banks are now seeking in the award. Banks would stll have to pay penalty rates under the agreements though the Finance Sector Union told the AFD the banks proposal was part of a two-step plan to abolish penalty rates for weekend work.
Westpac told the Financial Review any change to the award would apply to a small number of staff such as those working for the bank's Rams Home Loans brand.