Progress in Westpac pay talks

Contract negotiations between Westpac Bank and bank workers Finsec yesterday resulted in a revised offer that will be put to workers today.

Westpac spokesman Mark Watts said the talks in Wellington were conducted in a positive and constructive manner.

Details of the new offer would not be released until it was in front of workers.

A previous offer, which included a 5.2 per cent pay increase over 18 months and higher sales targets, was rejected overwhelmingly for the second time last week by workers.

They said the sales targets in the offer were unrealistic and unethical and would force them to load customers with debt that, in many cases, they did not need or could ill afford.

Yesterday's talks followed industrial action just before Christmas by up to 1500 workers which closed 26 Westpac branches throughout the country.