It’s very rare to see a major Australian
company given a pounding in the courts, but that’s what’s happened to
the Commonwealth Bank.

It’s also rare to see some grubby
corporate moves designed to downgrade employee conditions exposed, at a
time when the senior management of the company and board are busily
rewarding themselves and basking in reflected glory.

But that’s
what the case was all about – an attempt by CBA management at the very
top of the bank to slash the pay and conditions of a group of employees
by up to a third (or more in some cases) by transferring them from the
bank to a subsidiary and an inferior industrial award.

Corporate
conduct has to be particularly poor or offensive before our judges get
their dander up, but that’s what seems to have happened in a lengthy
Federal Court case involving the CBA that was decided upon late last
week and which has only gained a brief mention in the media.

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