CBA workers win fight to keep jobs threatened by AI voice bot rollout
Commonwealth Bank workers have forced the bank to reverse its decision on AI-driven job cuts.
The Finance Sector Union has described the U-turn over dozens of jobs by the CBA as a major win, but the fight to stop Australia's biggest bank replacing people in secure jobs with machines remains.
After a dispute before the Fair Work Commission, CBA has admitted it got it wrong and backtracked on the job cuts.
The 45 workers impacted will now be offered the option of staying in their roles or taking a voluntary exit payment.
It came after CBA announced in July that it would make the customer service roles redundant and replace them with a new AI-powered 'voice bot' in a move to reduce call volumes.
However, FSU members claimed it had the opposite effect, with call volumes rising and management scrambling to offer overtime.
The union said the 45 workers affected had endured weeks of unnecessary stress, not knowing if they would be able to pay bills or support their families.
The FSU has warned that more so-called 'efficiency measures' dressed up as digital transformation are already in play across the sector.
Finance Sector Union National Secretary Julia Angrisano said: 'This is a massive win for workers, proving what can be achieved when members stand together — but let's be clear, this is no victory lap.
'CBA has been caught out trying to dress up job cuts as innovation. Using AI as a cover for slashing secure jobs is a cynical cost-cutting exercise, and workers know it.
'Our members want to be part of the conversation about how new technology is used in banking. They want secure jobs today and the training needed for the jobs of the future, not to be discarded under the guise of efficiency.
'CBA likes to talk about being a digital leader, but real leadership means investing in your people, not tossing them aside and blaming the technology.'
A spokeperson for CBA said internal processes would be reviewed.
'CBA's initial assessment that the 45 roles in our Customer Service Direct business were not required did not adequately consider all relevant business considerations and this error meant the roles were not redundant,' the spokesperson said.
'We have apologised to the employees concerned and acknowledge we should have been more thorough in our assessment of the roles required.
'We are currently supporting affected employees and have provided them with choice regarding continuing in their current roles, pursuing redeployment within CBA or to proceed with leaving the organisation.
'We are also reviewing our internal processes to improve our approach going forward.'
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