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CBA has proposed another round of job cuts. This time, 274 jobs are expected to go - 176 of those cuts come from within Technology, with Engineering roles facing the brunt of the cuts.

Other areas impacted by the changes include roles in the Chief Operations Office, Business Banking, Institutional Banking & Markets, HR, Retail Banking and Support Units.

Tragically, these cuts will also have a significant impact on Bankwest, with support roles cut due to the closure of branches and functions absorbed into CBA.

CBA has attributed the cuts to workflow automation, realignments, streamlining and consolidating functions.

Once again, we are seeing CBA cutting local Technology jobs in favour of cheaper offshore labour, as the bank expects 54 of the 176 roles to have “remaining tasks which may be performed across teams located between Australia and India”.

And concerningly, we have also seen numerous jobs with the same job profile in the same team currently advertised in CBA India.

We have written to CBA demanding an urgent explanation.

Consultation process

If you are impacted by these proposed job cuts, we understand this is difficult news to hear. CBA has initiated a consultation period with affected employees and our union is now seeking feedback from members.

Under our CBA and Bankwest Enterprise Agreements, you have important rights during periods of major workplace change. Management is required to:

• consult with you about the proposed changes
• discuss the potential impacts the changes may have on you
• genuinely consider any feedback or proposed alternatives you raise
• implement measures to prevent or reduce negative impacts where possible.

In addition to providing your feedback to your union, we also encourage workers to engage in CBA’s consultation process. Tell CBA your thoughts about the changes and how they will impact you and your work, as well as your customers. If you believe you do not have sufficient information or time during consultation, you should immediately raise this in writing with your manager.

Please contact our Member Rights Centre on 1300 366 378 if you require urgent advice or assistance.

Negotiations continue

These cuts – which take the total to approximately 800 this year (400 of which have been in Technology alone) – come as our union continues negotiations with CBA for our new Enterprise Agreement.

So far, CBA has rejected our calls for better job security and protections around redundancies. CBA believe the status quo is sufficient.

We’ll continue to push CBA to take your concerns seriously and come to the table with fair improvements. Read more about our campaign and what FSU members are seeking here.

If you’re not yet a member of the FSU, join today to ensure you receive expert representation.