WestpacTrust Bank has asked for an urgent mediation meeting with its workers this week to avoid further strike action.
Union staff walked off the job in several parts of New Zealand yesterday after workers at Auckland branches were suspended for taking their lunch breaks together.
Workers last week voted to take industrial action this week, and to strike on Thursday, in a dispute over the bank's latest pay offer.
WestpacTrust spokeswoman Jane Anderson said 18 bank branches in Christchurch and one in Manukau had to close after yesterday's action.
She said although industrial action meant there was uncertainty for the bank's 1.3 million customers, telephone and internet banking services would not be affected.
She said the bank had applied to the Employment Relations Authority for urgent mediation with the workers' union, Finsec, on Thursday.
The company says it has offered staff an average payrise of 4.38 per cent, but it is dependent on performance.
Finsec has asked for a pay rise for all members of at least 2.4 per cent to match cost of living increases.
The union says under the bank's offer, 15 per cent of staff will get no pay increase at all. The banks says fewer than ten per cent will miss out.
"The reality is those who are not getting a pay rise are those who fall below the level of performance," WestpacTrust retail general manager Paul Bell said yesterday.
Members of the union were suspended from the Onehunga, Otahuhu and Panmure branches yesterday as the rolling industrial action began.
Union organiser Gordon Webley said workers in Onehunga and Otahuhu were suspended for taking their lunch breaks together, instead of staggering them to accommodate customers.
Workers at Panmure were suspended for "thinking about" doing so, he said.
Mr Webley said more stopwork meetings would be held today at unspecified times and locations in protest at the suspensions.
- NZPA
Bank seeks urgent mediation over pay row
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