Commonwealth Bank will reverse its decision to cut 45 call centre jobs to make room for an AI chatbot.
The Finance Sector Union (FSU) announced today that CBA has reversed its decision on job cuts, opting instead to provide employees with the choice to remain in their positions or accept voluntary redundancy.
However the FSU said the damage was “already done” for the 45 workers who have been unsure if they would remain employed at CBA.
The reversal comes after a dispute which was heard by the Fair Work Commission.
“This is a significant triumph for workers, demonstrating the power of collective action â yet we must acknowledge this isn’t the time for a victory parade,” stated FSU national secretary Julia Angrisano.
“CBA attempted to disguise job cuts as innovation. Utilizing AI as justification to eliminate secure jobs is a cynical cost-cutting tactic, and employees recognize this.
“Our members are eager to engage in discussions about how new technology can be integrated into banking. They desire secure employment now and the necessary training for future roles, rather than being discarded in the name of efficiency.”
The FSU is also representing workers impacted by CBA allegedly offshoring hundreds of jobs.
A spokesperson for CBA said the initial decision to cut 45 roles was an “error”.
“CBA’s initial judgment that the 45 positions within our Customer Service Direct division were unnecessary did not properly account for all pertinent business factors, and this misjudgment meant the roles were not genuinely redundant,” the spokesperson mentioned.
“We have apologised to the employees concerned and acknowledge we should have been more thorough in our assessment of the roles required.
“We are in the process of assisting affected staff, offering them options to remain in their current roles, seek other opportunities within CBA, or choose to leave the company.”
“We are also reviewing our internal processes to improve our approach going forward.”
CBA made the landmark decision to inform the FSU that AI was the reason for the redundancies announced last month.
However the bank denied any jobs would be sent offshore.
A CBA spokesperson also said some impacted staff would have been transitioned into open roles.
The initial group of 45 roles make up a small percentage of CBA’s 38,000-strong workforce.
9news.com.au has contacted CBA for a comment.
