Newsletter of the Finance Sector Union NSW/ACT BranchAuthorised by Julia Angrisano Local Executive Secretary

j u ly 2014

FSuBitesFSU Active:For the period 1 July 2013 - 30 June 2014

$4,717,939 recovered on behalf of FSU members

18,772 calls to the NSW Office

306 new cases opened on behalf of members

1,946 cases resolved for FSU members

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CBA has improved their pay offer to staff covered by the enterprise agreement. The new offer is 3.75%, up 0.25% on their previous offer.

The other piece of news relates to sick leave. While the bank is still proposing to cap sick leave, they have also agreed to not unreason-ably refuse to grant additional sick leave if it is required. This will be subject to managerial discretion but the wording proposed will allow employees who need extra sick leave to access it (or chal-lenge managers who unreasonably refuse to grant it).

There are more improvements on the table, including access to leave for preventative health measures.

The FSU’s National Enterprise Council (NEC) for CBA, comprising Reps elected to represent CBA FSU members on this national forum, met this week to consider the proposal. Incoming FSU National President and CBA employee Lou Arnfield sits on that council and says the offer is being recommended to FSU members.

“Because of the improvements gained at the bargaining table and the fact that union negotiators had moved the bank from their original position, the NEC members voted unanimously to recommend the proposal”, said Lou.

The FSU is holding meetings during August to go over the full package that is proposed, prior to a ballot of all employees.

Keep an eye on your inbox or speak with your FSU Organiser who will have all the details.

CBA Moves on Pay and Sick LeaveFSU Members to Decide

Incoming FSU National President, FSU CBA National Enterprise Council member and CBA employee Lou Arnfield

Read all the CBA news in lou’s Blog at www.fsunion.org.au

FSU Contact Details

NSW/ACT Executive

Ph. 1300 366 378

Fax.

(02) 9320 0099

Email:nswact@fsunion.org.au

Web:

www.fsunion.org.au

The NSW/ACT Executive is made up of finance industry workers and is the governing body of FSU in NSW & the ACT.

GeneralMember CouncilStephen Holloway(from 1/8/14)

Commonwealth Bank Member Council, NSW/ACT Presidentlouise ArnfieldCBA West Gosford Ph. 9120 3121

WestpacMember CouncilMarcia ByrnesWestpac KogarahPh. 8566 1377

NAB Member CouncilDale MillsNAB Lake HavenPh. 4394 8700

St George/Bank SAMember CouncilSusanne PearceSt. George Baulkham HillsPh. 9686 3511

Reserve BankMember CouncilBrendan FilipovskiReserve BankPh. 9551 8758

ANZ Member Council Mark BarrattOasis WollongongPh. 4224 1195

Local Executive Secretaryjulia AngrisanoPh. 1300 366 378

InsuranceMember Counciljulie EngelQBE SydneyPh. 8275 9537

Secretary’s ReportJulia Angrisano, Local Executive Secretary

NSW/ACT Branch

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FSU Member Rights Centre:

1300 366 378 Authorised by Leon Carter, FSU National Secretary, February 2013

ONLINE

JOINFSU

TELL YOURWORKMATES!

9FAST 9CONVENIENT 9SECURE

www.fsunion.org.au/membershipapplication.aspx

FSU Member Rights Centre:

1300 366 378 Authorised by Leon Carter, FSU National Secretary, February 2013

ONLINE

JOINFSU

TELL YOURWORKMATES!

9FAST 9CONVENIENT 9SECURE

www.fsunion.org.au/membershipapplication.aspx

FSU Member Rights Centre:

1300 366 378 Authorised by Leon Carter, FSU National Secretary, February 2013

ONLINE

End of year financial statements for FSU membersEnd of year financial statements for tax purposes have been emailed to all FSU members at the email address you have provided to FSU. If you haven’t received yours yet, please email fsuinfo@fsunion.org.au or call 1300 366 378.

Join today and claim your fees next year!If you join FSU today you’ll be able to claim a whole year’s worth of union fees as a tax deduction in 2015! As a member you’ll have access to all Union services including journey cover (see page 3) and be part of a collective working to improve the lives of finance workers and their families.

I’m really pleased to be back in the chair after recently returning from parental leave. It’s been amazing to see what we’ve been able to accomplish over the 2013/14 financial year.

Our advocates have recovered $4,717,939 on behalf of FSU members – that’s money that should have been in your pocket.

As always our FSU reps are taking a leading role in the work that we are doing to secure improvements to your working conditions.

Members have been at the negotiating table and brought improvements to the EBA offers of CBA, SGE Credit Union, and Encompass Credit Union which you can read about on pages 1 and 3.

In addition you can read about members at ANZ, Horizon Credit Union and Select Credit Union who are currently working on enterprise agreement campaigns.

At the end of this month we farewell some longstanding FSU Representatives who did not stand for another term on our LECs. These reps have given many years of service and I’d like to acknowledge their contribution to our union.

We also congratulate Louise Arnfield, who steps down as NSW/ACT Branch President to take up her new role as the FSU National President from 1st August 2014. Louise has committed to working with us in her new role and we look forward to her continued involvement in the NSW/ACT branch.

Pleased to be back in the chair

Securing Our Jobs, Our Future at Credit Unions

Negotiations have now concluded at both SGE Credit Union and Encompass Credit Union for new collective agreements that secure conditions and pay for staff.

Staff at both credit unions have recently endorsed the FSU negotiated agreements. Both agreements have now been lodged with the Fair Work Commission for certification.

The new agreements include:

• A set, guaranteed across the board pay increase or CPI, whichever is higher.

• A bonus increase based on the performance of the credit union as a whole.

• A clause that allows leave for staff if experiencing domestic and family violence.

• Leave that can be granted in the case of a natural disaster (fire, flood etc).

• Flexible working arrangements, allowing employees to vary their hours, pattern or place of work because of carer’s responsibilities, disability, age or issues with domestic/family violence

Horizon Credit Union and Select Credit Union underwayEnterprise Agreements for Horizon Credit Union and Select Credit Union are currently being negotiated.

The best way to ensure great outcomes in the new agreements at these credit unions is for staff to step up, become FSU members and get involved. If you work for one of these credit unions you can join online right now at www.fsunion.org.au or talk to your local FSU workplace rep. Alternatively, FSU organiser Jacqueline Check is the organiser for Horizon Credit Union and Sharlene Jamieson is the organiser for Select Credit Union. Drop them a line at nswact@fsunion.org.au or call 1300 366 378 to talk about becoming involved in securing your own pay and conditions.

Hundreds of FSU workplace reps have come together at meetings to discuss and endorse an FSU claim that will be put to the bank during negotiations for a new ANZ Collective Agreement.

The claim is a result of ANZ FSU members completing a survey giving their views about what needs to be included in the new agreement with the bank and the things that need to be improved.

Some key findings from there survey were:

• ANZ is a highly successful and profitable bank

• Staff are feeling more and more pressure every day through increased workload targets and unfair performance objectives

• Staff are having to put in more and work extra hours each day just to meet performance objectives and targets

• Staff are worried about their jobs - with increasing concerns created by constant restructures, performance management, more and more branch closures and ongoing off shoring of jobs

• Access to leave is restricted and there isn’t enough relief or back up to cover for staff on leave

• The performance based pay system is broken. It’s not fair. It is secretive. It is biased and it is distorted by the use of a bell curve to control costs.

• Staff are worried that pay is falling behind the other banks

The claim that has now been endorsed by FSU members and will form the basis of FSU’s bargaining position seeks to address these issues born out in the survey.

The claim calls on ANZ to secure jobs at the bank by immediately ceasing the offshoring of Australian jobs and investing in new, secure, high skilled Australian jobs. It seeks a commitment to undertaking genuine, effective consultation when change is proposed as well as other measures.

In terms of pay, the claim calls on ANZ to agree to a 4% across the board pay increase for all employees; paying employees for all hours worked; fixing the secretive and biased pay system; getting rid of the bell curve on performance pay; and ensuring performance objectives are agreed and performance assessment outcomes can be appealed among other measures.

As well as jobs and pay, the claim calls on ANZ to address issues around staffing, work/life balance, staff health and wellbeing, a commitment to workplace health and safety and fairness at work.

A full copy of the claim is available from your local FSU workplace rep or the Union office.

Our Jobs, Our Future @ ANZ“Let’s make it real”, says Mark

“In order to progress these issues with ANZ there is only one thing that will make it happen, your direct involvement”, said ANZ FSU NSW/ACT Council President and ANZ employee Mark Barratt.

“ANZ will listen if enough staff become involved in the process for a new agreement. Securing our jobs, our pay and our future at ANZ requires all of us who work for the bank to stand up and be heard”, he said.

“If you’re not already a Union member join today and then ask one of your colleagues to join. A strong and united staff working through their Union is the best way to make positive changes that we all want at ANZ”, he said.

You can join online today at www.fsunion.org.au

“Keep a look out as negotiations progress for positive action you can take at ANZ to make the FSU claim a reality”, said Mark.

STOP PRESS!Northern Beaches Credit Union bargaining begins next monthStaff at Northern Beaches Credit Union will begin their campaign to secure conditions and pay during the month of August. If you work for Northern Beaches and aren’t yet an FSU member, join today at www.fsunion.org.au

The Journey Cover Plan covers a current member for an accident on their trip to and from an insured person’s place of residence and business. All FSU members are covered by Journey Insurance.

For more information go to: www.fsunion.org.au/Member-Services/Journey-Insurance-Cover.aspxor call the Member Rights Centre on 1300 366 378.

“It’s reassuring to know that my commute to work every day is covered by my FSU Journey Cover. It gives me peace of mind that my family and I are looked after should something happen to me on the way to work.”

Paul, NAB

Authorised by Geoff Derrick, National Assistant Secretary

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The Goss!looking forward to that first meeting

An acting senior manager has been talking up how they have been dealing with the FSU and how apparently they “know how to handle us”. At a particular branch the manager boldly announced they have had two meetings with FSU but was never worried because the manager always “wins”. In speaking with our Advocates here in the Union office it doesn’t appear FSU has ever had any contact with this particular manager that we can see. We’re guessing when, or if, we do have that first meeting it should be an interesting experience.

94 missed calls!An FSU organiser was in a workplace recently and happened to notice the phone customers can use to ring the branch. It had 94 missed calls for the day so far and staff were frantic trying to clear the queue. Clearly this workplace has a serious staffing issue with that many calls going unanswered and the organiser is working with members to address the issues.

Abracadabra and the Asset is Gone- Notional Assets and ‘add-backs’ in Family Law

By Paul Sant, Partner, Turner Freeman Lawyers

When a relationship breaks down, and legal proceedings to split up common property are looming, there are times when one partner will attempt to shrink the settlement by offloading assets or through reckless spending.

In a trick worthy of the world’s greatest illusionists, where once there was an asset, soon there is nothing left.

Cases that have gone before the courts include the taxi driver who sold his taxi license plate, spending the proceeds before the marital assets could be assessed, and a wife who gambled away about $140,000 in joint funds over the course of 18 months.

For the victims of these subversive attempts to avoid an equitable distribution of marital assets, there can still be legal recourse.

While the court will generally identify and evaluate the assets of both parties as of the date of the hearing, there are exceptions.

From the 1980s, the judicial system recognised the injustice of the situation, initially allowing the value of certain assets that had been offloaded by one party to be notionally “added back”.

More recently, the High Court ruled that considering assets that were no longer retained by either party did not sit well against current laws, however that didn’t mean that offloaded assets were no longer relevant.

These dissipated assets can still be considered as “negative contributions”, or the Court can find that for “the justice of the case” they are required to be taken into account.

“Negative contributions” can be considered within the assessment of contributions. Either the party who disposed of the assets can be seen to have provided a negative contribution, or the other party may be seen to have made a greater indirect contribution to the remaining legal and equitable interests.

Not every case where assets assets are dissipated will be seen to involve an affront to justice and equity, with the individual circumstances needing to be assessed, but in many situations there is the opportunity for legal recourse.

Thousands Rally to “Bust the Budget”

Thousands of Union members (including an FSU contingent), disability groups, youth groups, student union representatives, community groups and church groups all came together on Sunday 6 July to continue the pressure on the Federal Government over its unfair budget.

This budget is one of the most socially damaging budgets to be seen in recent times.

The budget cuts vital services from those who need them most, moving Australia towards a state in which the rich get richer and the poor get poorer with:

• A GP Co-Payment

• $80b in cuts to health and education

• Cuts to the pension

• Increased uni fees

• Increased petrol tax

If you haven’t already done so you can still join the campaign to bust the budget by signing this online petition: http://www.unionsnsw.org.au/btbpetition/