CBA to cut 176 technology and engineering roles

CBA is set to cut 176 technology and engineering roles but has refuted a union suggestion that the jobs are being moved to India.

The Finance Sector Union (FSU) revealed the job cuts in a statement, and said that an additional 100 roles would be cut in the chief operating office, human resources and other areas of the bank.

The union said that CBA had attributed the cuts “to workflow automation, organisational realignments, streamlining and the consolidation of existing functions.”

However, the union alleged that similar roles were being advertised for CBA's India operations, and said it had lodged a “formal dispute” with the bank seeking “the true rationale behind the job cuts”.

A CBA spokesperson denied the roles were effectively being offshored.

“The roles currently advertised in India are separate and unrelated to the proposed changes in Australia,” the spokesperson said.

As to the quantum of the cuts - impacting 276 roles in total, the bank suggested that changes to staffing of this nature is a normal occurrence given the organisation's size.

“CBA employs around 49,000 people across Australia. Within a workforce of this scale, there is ongoing movement through hiring, internal mobility and recruitment in priority capability areas,” the spokesperson said.

“We also regularly review the roles and skills we need to deliver the best customer outcomes. Some tasks and skills required are changing, some roles are reducing as programs finish, and new roles are being created.

“When roles are impacted, we provide practical support through CBA’s future workforce program, including a voluntary career transition placement program and a career transition hub offering coaching, skills assessments and access to internal vacancies.”

Finance Sector Union national secretary Julia Angrisano said that the union “doesn’t buy the bank’s excuse that the job cuts are the result of better processes.”

“We’ll be watching closely when CBA releases their full-year profit results soon on August 12, including their CBA India employment numbers,” she said.