   |
||
| Issue No 36 |  |
22 October 1999 |
|
|
|
NewsHockey Sticks With the Banks
The Howard minister responsible for banking has a rejected a NSW Government plan to set minimum community services for the industry.
NSW Fair Trading Minister John Watkins told State Parliament this week that Joe Hockey and conservative state ministers had blocked his plan at the Ministerial Council on Consumer Affairs. Under the Watkins plan, banking licences would be subject to community service obligations, which could include: - fee-free transactions for those receiving government pensions and benefits. - service standards for banking services in rural and regional areas. - and safe, accessible and easy use of automatic tekller machines and EFTPO for aged and disabled consumers. Watkins had also suggested an existing regulator be appointed to rate each bank and public a community banking ranking to help consumers make informed decisions. Such systems exiust in the US. "Unfortunately at the ministerial council only Queensland and Tasmania were prepared to support my plan," Watkins told Parliament. "The Commonwealth Minister, Joe Hockey, acted as an apologist for the banks. He refused to accept the plan from NSW and pulled rank on the conservative staes." Watkins called on the Prime Minister to pull Hockey into line and give the proposal serious consideration. More Details Sought on Westpac Cuts Meanwhile, Finance Sector Union has called on Westpac to provide detailed information on what areas are targeted for job cuts following the announcement last week that 3,000 jobs would be cut across the organsiation. The union understands that more than 300 positions will disappear in Victoria and more than 700 positions will disappear from NSW regional bank. Sources in the bank have told the union that 800 jobs or more will disappear from Queensland although Employee Relations deny that the figure will be this high. At least 200 positions will disappear from Western Australia Unknown positions will disappear from Corporate. The FSU has been informed that the work from approximately 295 positions made redundant in Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria will be centralised in NSW. Yet a letter from the bank to staff in NSW says that only 80 positions will be created in NSW to cope with this work. The Bank has so far been unable to answer the union's queries on how 80 staff in NSW are expected to cope with work previously done by 295 people.
|
   Interview: When All�s Not WELSuzanne Hammond explains how the federal government�s decision to cut off funding to the Womens� Electoral Lobby wil impact on all women. Republic: The Great Constitutional SwindleIn an upcoming book, Peter Botsman argues the blanding out of Australian consitutional history is one of the big barriers to the Republican cause. Unions: Beaten by the ClockRon Callus from ACIRRT counts the social cost of increased working hours. International: Pakistan Military Urged to Protect Workers' RightsThe ICFTU is urging General Pervez Musharraf, who yesterday seized power in a military coup, to take urgent steps to ensure a return to constitutional rule in the shortest possible time. History: How the Cunning Fox SurvivedLen Fox recently turned 94. He celebrated the event by sending out copies of his latest publication to friends; a booklet of his selected pencil and crayon sketches since 1925, with autobiographical commentaries. Satire: Direct Electionists to Keep Voting No Pro-direct election republicans who plan to vote �no� in the upcoming referendum have announced plans to extend their approach to every future election held in Australia. Labour Review: What's New at the Information CentreRead the latest issue of Labour review, a resource for union officials and students. Review: Bowing down before GlobalzillaIt is my experience that books that have the word "globalization" in the title should be avoided at all costs.
Notice Board View entire latest issue
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
![[ Home ]](/images/nv_home.gif){kind=small} ![[ Notice Board ]](/images/nv_board.gif){kind=small} ![[ Search ]](/images/nv_search.gif){kind=small} ![[ Previous Issues ]](/images/nv_previous.gif){kind=small} ![[ Latest Issue ]](/images/nv_latest.gif){kind=small} |
|
|
|
|
© 1999-2000 Labor Council of NSW LaborNET is a resource for the labour movement provided by the Labor Council of NSW URL: http://workers.labor.net.au/36/news8_bank.htmlLast Modified: 15 Nov 2005 [ Privacy Statement | Disclaimer | Credits ] LaborNET is proudly created, designed and programmed by Social Change Online for the Labor Council of NSW |
|
![[Workers Online]](/images/logo_small.gif){kind=logo}
![[Social Change Online]](/images/sco_logo.gif){kind=logo}