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Issue No. 130 | 05 April 2002 |
Lights Out on The Hill
Interview: Change Agent Industrial: Balancing the Books Unions: Breaking Out Politics: Pissing on the Light on the Hill History: Of Death and Taxes International: Now That's a Strike! Satire: Mugabe Voted Miss Zimbabwe: Denies Election Rigged Poetry: Flick Go The Branches Review: Red, Red Clydeside
Brogden's Worker Creds On The Line Melbourne Faces Budget Day Gridlock Unions Call for Middle East Peace Queensland Casuals Step Forward Worker Stood Down for Dunny Action Indigenous Jobs on Union Agenda Building Workers Honour Fallen Cop Robbo and Latham to Go Three Rounds ACT Health Workers Flex Muscles Casual Rights On Agenda As Full-Time Jobs Collapse Workers Health Centre Offers Affordable Care
The Soapbox Sport Week in Review Postcard
Chikka's Legacy Socialists in the UK Organising Globally Grape Disappointment Union Resignations : Crisis or Opportunity?
Labor Council of NSW |
News NAB Gambles, Aussies Lose
And, with the bank having refused to complete a new enterprise agreement before the restructure, workers are also unsure whether their entitlements will be fully protected. The National Australia Bank will this week announce its intention to cut thousands of jobs and close scores of branches in a 'Positioning for Growth' statement. Estimates of job cuts range from 3,000 to 5,000. The restructure comes after NAB lost $3.6 billion speculating in the United States on the failed HomeSide lending venture. This includes more than $9 million paid to two US executives who presided over the debacle. The Finance Sector Union says the $3.6 billion would have covered the wages of 5,000 NAB workers, on an average annual wage of $30,000, for another 24 years. FSU state secretary Geoff Derrick says the cuts show the pitfalls of banks speculating on extravagant investment schemes rather than concentrating on services to the community. "NAB has to work out if it is a bank or a gambler," Derrick says. "If NAB decides it's a bank it should commit to customers and staff, not shed branches and workers to make good its gambling debts." Branches Disappear The job cuts and closures follow a steady reduction in staffing levels over the past five years. In 1997, NAB had 46,422 fulltime employees. By 2001 this was down 44,983, of which about half are employed in Australia. In this light a loss of 5,000 jobs will equate to 11 per cent of the bank's total workforce The FSU says the NAB average profit per employee is now $98,000 per year. The full list of NAB Branch closures is: NSW: Culburra, Milton, Gunning, Bomaderry, Gulgong, Molong, Baradine, Boggabri, Warialda, Manilla, Coolamon, Bangalow, Brunswick Heads, Urunga QLD: Sugarland, Toogoolawah, Wondai, Kin Kora, Babinda, Cardwell, Horne Hill SA: Goolwa, Angaston, Maitland, Orroroo, Peterborough, Quorn Vic: Merbein, Charlton, Birchip, Warrambool East, Koroit, Coleraine, Dimboola, Koo Wee Rup, Warburton, Pyramid Hill, Angaroo Flat, Sea Lake, Nyah West, Tongala, Violet Town, Elmore, Rushworth, Stanhope, Mortlake, Willaura, Winchelsea, Avoca, Beaufort, Portarhington, Queenscliff, Anglesea, San Remo, Toora W.A. Williams
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