ANZ and National Bank strikes pick up pace countrywide

Strikes at the ANZ and National Bank continued into their fourth day yesterday.

Staff at the two banks, which are owned by the same company, are pushing for extra pay to work weekends and evenings, seeking parity with their counterparts in the company's Australian banks.

New industrial action began at Manukau, Papakura, Manurewa and Dunedin, the staff's union Finsec said yesterday.

Staff at the National Bank and ANZ branches in Papakura stopped work about 11am and staged "a big rowdy picket", said Finsec campaigns director Karen Skinner.

They follow strikes at branches in Taranaki and West Auckland yesterday, as well as strikes by workers who deal with credit card and eftpos transactions and staff at the processing centre in Wellington.

Earlier this week staff in Auckland, Waikato, Taranaki and Wellington took strike action.

More industrial action was planned around the country for the next few days, Ms Skinner said.

ANZ National had offered a 3.75 per cent pay rise and other improvements to conditions.

- NZPA