The Finance Sector Union says Bankwest staff will consider proposed industrial action after the company rejected their amended pay claim under a new three-year enterprise agreement.
Bankwest has rejected a revised union claim that would give most staff pay rises of between 3.25 per cent and 3.6 per cent over three years.
The negotiations, which are entering their eleventh month, were delayed early last year due to the pandemic.
However, the recent surge in consumer prices has complicated the talks and raised pressure on the bank to enhance its offer from February for annual rises of 3 per cent.
In the last week CBA-owned Bankwest improved the offer to annual rises to 3.25 per cent for the life of the agreement.
The union yesterday rejected the amended offer and continues to agitate for staff to receive a 3.6 per cent increase this year given that consumer inflation is expected to exceed 4 per cent.
FSU’s Western Australian secretary Dianne Marshall warned that members would consider actions ranging from work bans to strikes if the bank did not boost the pay offer.
“Our members at Bankwest are fed up with the way they have been treated during these negotiations and they have indicated to the union that the current offer of 3.25 per cent over three years is not good enough when inflation is eating into household budgets,” Marshall said.
“Bankwest staff are not prepared to accept any wages outcome that represents a real pay cut.”
A Bankwest spokesperson declined to comment on the details of the pay dispute, but said the company’s goal was to “reach a balanced agreement”.
“Bankwest has been working with the Finance Sector Union for around 11 months to establish a new Bankwest Enterprise Agreement,” the spokesperson said.
“Our goal is to reach a balanced and fair Enterprise Agreement that is in the best interests of our colleagues and customers.
“We understand that improved pay, flexibility and leave entitlements are very important to our people and we’re committed to securing these positive outcomes for Bankwest colleagues.”
Marshall said that Bankwest staff had written to CBA group managing director Matt Comyn in the last week calling on him to intervene in the dispute.
“Cost of living increases are placing real pressure on household budgets, making it harder to pay the bills and put petrol in the car,” staff told Comyn in the letter.
“You can resolve this so none of us are worse off.”
The sudden reappearance of inflation in the Australian economy is set to complicate enterprise negotiations affecting staff at Westpac and NAB later this year.