Westpac seals two-year pay deal
Most Westpac staff will receive a pay increase of 3.75 per cent in 2013 and 2014, provided they are rated "effective" or better in their regular review, the Finance Sector Union said yesterday in a notice on its website.Employees of the bank's St George division will receive a pay rise of 3.75 per cent across the board in the first year.St George staff will vote on a performance-based pay rise of 3.75 per cent for the second year, with 85 per cent of staff needed to support the plan for it to come into effect. The pay rise will be 3.25 per cent in the second year if staff do not support this aspect of the new enterprise agreement.The FSU also said that Westpac had agreed to improved consultation when offshoring jobs, including providing case managers for staff in need of redeployment.Westpac cut staff by more than 2000 in its last financial year, with the bank transferring many routine support jobs to offshore suppliers.In a recent report commissioned by the Finance Sector Union, the National Institute of Economic and Industry Research estimated that 24 per cent of jobs in finance and insurance are "at risk" of being sent offshore over the next two to three decades.The bank will also give staff and the union 14 days' notice of any planned job cuts.In addition, Westpac agreed to extend parental and carers' leave for staff.