The Commonwealth Bank (Bankwest’s parent company) has announced it is axing 130 roles over the next three months in the Bankwest Business Banking Transition Team, with 122 of those jobs lost from Western Australia.
The transition team has helped migrate customers from Bankwest to CBA following the bank’s decision to withdraw Bankwest from business banking in 2022.
This totals almost 400 roles slashed since CBA viciously closed Bankwest’s entire retail branch and ATM network in WA early last year.
At the time, CBA promised the West Australian Government it would create 500 more jobs following the closures, yet has continued to savagely cut jobs and send work offshore instead.
Finance Sector Union (FSU) National Assistant Secretary Jason Hall said CBA’s actions cast serious doubt as to the integrity of its commitments to the West Australian Government.
“Unfortunately the WA Government has been sold a pup here – 500 group roles were promised in return for Bankwest going completely digital,” he said.
“Instead, the bank continues to cut local jobs. Clearly that commitment was an empty promise by CBA to take the heat off for abandoning an entire community. Is that really acceptable to the WA community and Government?
“Since its decision to withdraw business banking three years ago, Bankwest customers and staff have faced uncertainty. Workers are fed up of being at constant risk of losing their jobs.
“Our members have told us time and time again they are under pressure and overworked in many areas of Bankwest due to the bank’s relentless slew of job cuts and offshoring.
“These latest job cuts leave fewer than a dozen workers – barely a skeleton staff – remaining to pick up the pieces.
“The FSU calls on CBA to redeploy as many of the 130 roles cut to areas that are already under pressure and short staffed.”
The FSU said it would be writing to WA Treasurer Rita Saffioti to seek an urgent meeting and to immediately intervene on the matter.
The FSU has also repeatedly called on the Federal Government to urgently implement the recommendations from the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs Inquiry into regional bank closures of May last year, which include declaring banking an essential service and developing a mandatory industry code so banks can be held to account for their actions.
Media contact: Rebecca Nicholson – 0409 216 053
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