With the Commonwealth Bank announcing 116 more job cuts nationally, the Finance Sector Union has renewed calls for the bank to commit to no further job cuts and better pay and conditions in a new Enterprise Agreement for Bankwest workers.
The FSU has lodged a dispute against the CBA at the Fair Work Commission on behalf of its Bankwest members as negotiations for a new Bankwest Enterprise Agreement reached an impasse. An initial conciliation session was held in Perth last Friday in an attempt to resolve the outstanding issues.
“In addition to the closure of Bankwest branches, impacting 350 jobs, the Commonwealth Bank has cut over 280 jobs from Western Australia in the past two years,” Finance Sector Union (FSU) National Assistant Secretary Jason Hall said.
This latest round of job cuts will impact 116 roles across a range of areas of CBA and across Australia, most for the stated reason of ‘efficiency and simplification. The largest number are in retail operations (47) but they cover a range of areas including Chief Technology Office (21), and Strategy and Performance (15). The job losses affect almost every Australian State and the ACT with the largest number of job losses in NSW (77), followed by Victoria (23). 11 jobs are due to be lost in WA under this latest announecement.
“At the same time, the Bank is trying to force an inferior Enterprise Agreement on its loyal Bankwest workers at a time when inflation and cost of living is eroding workers’ pay,” Jason Hall said
“The Enterprise Agreement as it stands will make it easier to turn Bankwest into ‘CBA Lite’ and will remove many pay conditions and protections for Bankwest workers.”
Bankwest is proposing a two-year Enterprise Agreement in order to align with the Commonwealth Bank Enterprise Agreement.
The Agreement proposes salary thresholds meaning the more Bankwest workers earn, the less their wage will increase, as well as cuts to overtime and weekend loadings, allowances and annual leave loading for higher earners.
It provides the right for the bank to make changes to workers’ grades without consultation and notice, and cuts minimum notice periods when requiring employees to work in another position or location and when ceasing weekend work.
“Our Bankwest members and Bankwest customers deserve better than the way that the Commonwealth Bank has treated them – from branch closures to stripping workers of conditions that protect their pay and how they work.
“The FSU will be encouraging Bankwest members to vote no if we cannot get a fairer deal through the Fair Work Commission.”
Media contact:
David Imber, 0413 274 204 or [email protected]
The wave of jobs cuts continues at CBA, with Australia’s richest bank confirming…
The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) has told workers it will axe 163…
Bankwest workers are fed up of being at constant risk of losing their…
