Between 120 and 150 of Westpac's IT staff have marched to the Industrial Relations Commission to protest the management of Westpac's proposed outsourcing strategy.
The IT staff were showing support for their elected representatives that are currently debating severance payments with the bank, and seeking reassurance that working conditions offered to any of the existing IT staff by the successful outsourcing tender will remain as is under Westpac.
According to Geoff Derrick, secretary of NSW/ACT branch of the Finance Sector Union, earlier negotiations between the representatives and the bank had failed, when the bank accused the delegates of not being truly representative of the staff.
"The staff have then chosen to show their support for these delegates at the IRC," he said.
The IRC has recommended the IT staff return to work, both in keeping on good terms and to ensure that transaction facilities will be on-line and operational at the Homebush Olympic site, to which the protesting workers agreed.