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Technology workers at Bendigo Bank are staring down the barrel of having some of their most basic rights and working conditions stripped away, under oppressive employment contracts being proposed by Indian tech giant Infosys.

Bendigo Bank announced last month that hundreds of Australian workers will be booted across to Infosys as part of its so-called ‘productivity program’.

The Finance Sector Union (FSU) said under the proposed contracts, Infosys would be able to force employees to work wherever and whatever hours they deem reasonable. The contracts also allow workers’ pay to go backwards in the event of a pandemic, recession, ‘calamity’, or change in market conditions, while not offering any guaranteed wage increases or reviews.

Infosys would also be able to demand workers provide their sensitive medical information when they are ill, and could terminate a worker’s employment on medical grounds.

The union said such a violation of rights would set a dangerously low standard that borders on worker exploitation.

The FSU reports Bendigo Bank workers are fearful the worst is yet to come, with more job cuts anticipated from Bendigo Bank’s new partnership with Infosys and Genpact.

The FSU is advising members not to sign their contracts, while calling on Bendigo Bank customers to contact CEO Richard Fennell to express their concerns about the bank’s partnership with Infosys and to save his own workers from these disastrous contracts: https://fsu.org.au/Bendigo-risking-our-money 

Quotes attributable to FSU National Assistant Secretary Nicole McPherson:

“These Infosys contracts are worse than we feared and spell disaster for all Bendigo Bank workers, who know more cuts are coming. 

“Imagine turning up to work one day at the same office and performing the same tasks as you’ve previously done, but you’re suddenly employed by an offshore company on vastly inferior conditions. That’s what these Bendigo Bank workers are being told to accept. 

“These draconian working conditions may pass the test in other countries where Infosys operates, but Australian workers have fought too hard over many decades to allow the clock to be turned back. 

“Bendigo Bank may pride itself as being Australia’s most trusted bank, but when it comes to its employees, who are expected to accept inferior conditions to boost the bank’s profits, nothing could be further from the truth.

“If Bendigo Bank is allowed to get away with shafting its technology workers to a company that isn’t prepared to provide their workers with basic rights and conditions, it will open the door for any company to follow in Bendigo Bank’s footsteps. 

“We call on Bendigo Bank CEO Richard Fennell to reverse course before it’s too late and save his employees from these disastrous contracts.”

More information: [email protected] / 0401 738 298