CBA "No Computers = No Targets"

CBA must suspend targets after desktop crash -
FSU calls on bank to take pressure off front-line staff

Yesterday (1 August 2012) FSU met with CBA and called on the bank to suspend targets for July and August in the wake of the disastrous desktop crash that occurred last Friday, 27 July and had some branches still experiencing problems yesterday. The FSU call came after the union's CBA Member Council met in Sydney to discuss the widespread reports of serious problems caused by the crash.

While the efforts of staff throughout the bank meant that most customers would have been oblivious to the problems, the bank's reliance on the system meant that most staff were working without access to critical information and facilities. It was effectively impossible to complete much of the work.

The clean-up and backlog caused by the crash has meant that it would have been impossible for many staff to complete planned work for up to five days and it will now be difficult to catch up over the coming weeks. On this basis FSU believes that it would be unreasonable to hold staff accountable for targets set for July, where between three and five of the last working days of the month were lost and August, where an unclear number of days will be spent catching up on July's unfinished work.

In response to the union request, representatives of the bank acknowledged the problems caused by the system crash and said that an announcement would be made soon about targets. The bank says that sales meetings should not have taken place on Monday 30 July.

Crash Involved Outsourced Provider

It has been reported to FSU that the desktop crash occurred because of the actions of an outsourced provider.  It is unclear whether the problems would have been avoided if the work had remained in-house but the problem underpins the FSU criticism of outsourcing where the bank loses direct control over end to end processes.

CBA recently announced that the IT help desk facilities at Sydney Olympic Park would be outsourced to HP. Up to 50 CBA positions are set to be made redundant over the next six months, and those workers will be out of a job unless redeployment options can be found.