Commonwealth Bank of Australia reverses plan to cut 45 customer service roles after union challenge

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) reverses a decision to cut 45 customer service roles, following pressure from the Finance Sector Union (FSU) and a case lodged with the workplace relations tribunal. The bank apologises to the affected employees and says its original assessment of staffing needs is incomplete. Staff who receive the redundancy notices now have options to remain in their current roles, move to another position, or leave the company.

CBA initially planned to remove the roles after introducing AI that reduces call volumes by about 2,000 per week. The FSU disputes that claim and says call volumes are in fact rising. The union points to overtime requests and reports that team leaders are taking calls to help manage demand. On that basis, the union takes the matter to the tribunal, arguing that the bank is not transparent about how it selects roles for redundancy and questioning whether the technology-driven basis for the cuts holds up.

In a statement, CBA says its original review “does not adequately consider all relevant business considerations,” The bank adds that it apologises to the employees concerned and that it is reviewing internal processes to improve future decisions. CBA also confirms it is looking at how it assesses operational data and how it communicates with staff when technology upgrades affect workforce plans.

The Finance Sector Union calls the reversal a “massive win” for members. It says the outcome shows that staffing decisions must reflect real workloads and not only projections linked to new tools. The union also raises concerns about how roles are selected for redundancy and whether similar roles are being created elsewhere, including overseas support teams. The FSU says it will continue to monitor how the bank manages any future changes to customer support operations.

With more than 51,000 staff, CBA remains one of Australia’s largest private employers. Chief executive Matt Comyn continues to promote the bank’s use of technology to improve services and internal productivity. Earlier this month, CBA announced a partnership intended to bring advanced tools to customers and staff. Even so, the bank’s handling of the 45 roles shows the challenge of balancing automation plans with day-to-day customer demand and service levels.

The episode also fits into a wider debate in financial services. A Bloomberg Intelligence report earlier this year suggests global banks may remove up to 200,000 roles over the next three to five years as technology takes on repeatable tasks. The report indicates that back office, middle office and operations roles may be most exposed. For now, CBA’s reversal shows that short-term workforce changes can still depend on real call volumes, service targets and regulatory expectations.

For customers, the bank says service remains a priority. The return of the 45 roles aims to keep wait times in check and ensure coverage during peak periods. The bank also says it continues to train staff to work alongside new tools and to use automation to handle simple, repetitive queries so human agents can focus on complex cases.