For immediate release
25 September 2008

ANZ National bank lies to public?
Major reductions in customer service expected in ANZ branches

ANZ National bank has announced today its intention to cut face to face service to customers by reducing front line branch staff numbers. ANZ National pledged earlier this year to increase front line staffing numbers when it announced its intention to send up to 500 back office jobs to Bangalore, India.

At 8.30 this morning ANZ bank announced to staff the following:

1. A review of the branch network with a view to reducing staff numbers
2. A freeze on recruitment which will lead to immediate staff reductions through attrition
3. A reduction in the use of casual staff to cover absences and a tightening up of overtime being worked
4. Asking front line staff to consider voluntary redundancy

“ANZ National bank has lied to their staff and lied to their customers. When they announced the offshoring of hundreds of jobs to India they promised to increase frontline staff numbers and customer service,” said Finsec Campaigns Director Andrew Campbell. “At a time when this billion dollar bank continues to make record profits, it should be investing in its front line but once again, it is putting profit before people. Once again, this bank is going about its business in ways which will only damage its reputation further.”

“ANZ’s proposals will be bad for customers and staff. A survey of ANZ National branches conducted late last year shows that there are already significant understaffing issues in their retail network. 66% of staff surveyed said that understaffing across their team was having a negative impact on customer service. And 82% of staff consistently worked additional hours each week.”

“The bank’s profits continue to grow, and there is no justification for ANZ National to cut even more Kiwi jobs,” said Campbell. “Staff workload is already affecting customers. Rather than cutting jobs, Finsec believes that ANZ National should be investing in New Zealand with greater numbers of customer service roles, as they promised in April.”

ENDS

Attached: ANZ retail network staffing numbers, ANZ National’s promises on frontline staffing numbers, and more detail from our survey of bank retail staff

ANZ_National_appendix.pdf

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