Staff lay complaints of bullying at Red Shed
The Government will look at concerns raised by regional development minister Shane Jones about the big Australian-owned banks pulling out of rural New Zealand.
Jones, who has had run-ins with Air New Zealand and The Warehouse for their treatment of the regions, has hit out at the banks.
He said the return on capital the Australian banks made in New Zealand was usurious and saw their New Zealand arms exporting $5 billion in profits. Those profits had grown by 75 per cent over the last 10 years while at the same time banks were shutting down branches in rural New Zealand, he said.
“I don’t think you can enjoy the right to profit without having an obligation to maintain an extensive level of service.”
Jones said more older people were living in the regions and branch closures were “making life harder for small business owners and contributing to urban drift”.
He said if the Australian-owned banks wanted to “enjoy the fruits” of owning these operations they should have to accept responsibility as well.
Jones said he would talk to Reserve Bank governor about whether a provision of service could be part of bank licensing.
A spokeswoman for finance minister Grant Robertson, whose mandate includes the Reserve Bank, said Jones had raised an issue that was important to some in rural communities.
“Minister Jones has raised an issue important to some in rural communities that we will have a look at.”
Stephen Parry, national finance sector organiser for First Union, said: “Over the last two years alone we have seen nearly 50 branch closures across ANZ, BNZ and Westpac.”
New Zealand Bankers’ Association acting chief executive Antony BuickConstable said Kiwis were using branches less, with more people using online banking.
— More than 20 workers have laid formal complaints about a store manager at The Warehouse, First Union says.
Twenty-two staff have reported bullying and felt demeaned by the manager, so much so one employee needed counselling before she finally resigned, First Union said.
Employees past and present claim the manager, who is still at the store, yelled at staff, micromanaged, gave impossible workloads, photographed shelf-stacking mistakes and filed them, and teased them over their age.
The Warehouse has investigated claims but refused to bring in an external investigator, First Union said.
In a statement to the Herald the retailer said it took the allegations “very seriously”. “A thorough investigation was conducted and concluded. Lawful and appropriate steps have been taken and is now resolved.”