FIRST Union representatives met Westpac GM of retail Gai McGrath last week, to discuss targets.

Union Councillor Craig McKinnon said that the council presented the results of the recent survey of Westpac staff. “Staff largely accept that targets are part of the way the bank does business,” said Craig. “But we want more of a say in how they are set, and for more team targets for some products and services.”

Combined bank after-tax profits soared to $3.3 billion last year, a figure that FIRST Union Finance Secretary Andrew Casidy described as problematic in an otherwise sluggish economy.

“Why is it that bank profits increase by 20% in a year, when many other industries, not to mention ordinary families, continue to struggle?” asked Andrew Casidy.

Some of Australia’s biggest banks – including Commonwealth, ANZ and Westpac – have applied to authorities to have weekends included as ordinary hours of work. They want ordinary hours to include 12pm-6pm on Saturdays and 8am-6pm to “promote flexibility in the workplace”.

The Finance Sector Union told the Australian authorities that most workers would not be impacted by the change to the Award, but expressed concern that the banks were looking to remove penal rates from the award in the longer term.

If you’re contemplating indulging your sweet tooth with a few chocolate treats this Easter, here are a few facts to chew on:
- 76 percent of us bite the ears first when we eat a chocolate bunny, 5% eat the feet first and 4% eat the tail.
- Nearly two thirds of us prefer milk chocolate (65%) over dark chocolate (27%)
- The first chocolate eggs were made in Germany in the 19th century.

90% of adults hope that Easter eggs are not just for the kids and that they’ll get some goodies too. Only 90%?