News

“Bank employees are proud to provide professional financial advice to their clients and build up long standing relationships with them. They are highly satisfied with such services; however they hate to force new products and services burdening the customers with debt;” said Leon Carter National Secretary of Finance Sector Union Australia at the UNI Asia & Pacific Finance steering group meeting held on 6 - 7 August 2008 in Tokyo, Japan.



Haruhisa Yamaneki, Director, Planning Department of RENGO, extended fraternal greetings from the Japanese trade union movements for the meeting. Koji Ishikawa President of UNI Apro finance, chaired the 9th UNI Apro finance steering group meeting and welcomed banking sector trade union leaders from eight countries in the Asia and Pacific region to Japan



Oliver Roethig, Head of Department of UNI Finance Global Union provided an overview of the global financial crisis, with special reference to the effective regulations of the industry as demanded by UNI Europa Finance at the meeting. Huge losses booked by banks as a result of investing in complex structured products have shaken customers’ confidence. Sales culture linked to the performances of employees was critically analyzed at the meeting; as such practices have contributed heavily to the crisis. Steering group decided to endorse the demands put forward by their counterparts in Europe for stricter regulations on all market players in the industry with a view to re-align the business of banking with a social orientation particularly putting customer service with sufficient staffing before profits and performance targets .Andrew Casidy, General Secretary of FINSEC briefed the Steering Group about their Better Banks campaign initiated with the support of the community to protect the banking business in the interest of all stake holders for a sustainable growth in New Zealand.



Chung Yong-Kun President of KFCLU Korea updated the Steering Group on the ongoing industrial struggle at Allianz Life Korea. He thanked UNI and Ver.di, the German union, for mobilizing international solidarity towards their struggle.



Tetsuya Kawano General Secretary of Labor Bank Union in Japan explained about the changes in the banking and insurance industry in Japan to the steering group.



Christopher Ng, UNI-Apro regional secretary, highlighted the emergence of the ASEAN economic community. ASEAN is working closely with six countries in the region, including India and China. However, this new economic community is an organization without any social dimension. He emphasized the need for trade unions to influence the integration process to safeguard the interest of workers and trade unions.



A seminar on “Productivity and Work Life Balance in the Finance Sector” was also conducted in conjunction of the steering group meeting in Tokyo.



Oliver Roethig requested the banking union leaders to apply pressure at national level for strict regulations on the guidelines proposed by UNI Finance Global Union. Organizing all bank employees and recruiting them into unions, particularly in off shore operations, was also discussed by the steering group. Finally, and a work plan for 2009 was agreed on, based on the priorities identified by Jayasri Priyalal Director, UNI Apro finance sector activities, and in consultation with Steering Group members at the meeting.