Westpac set to move 190 Aussie jobs overseas

Big four bank Westpac will cut 190 Australian jobs in its customer solutions division and move them offshore just days after announcing a bumper profit.

Big four bank Westpac has announced nearly 200 roles in the bank’s customer solutions department will be moved overseas, sparking warnings of dangerous implications for customers from the workers’ union.

Westpac said it will move 190 jobs from South Australia and NSW to the Philippines, three months after telling shareholders the business was in “very good shape”, and just days after announcing a $1.7bn quarterly profit, although the bank said earnings had fallen by 10 per cent.

The move comes less than a year after the major bank moved 130 roles to the Philippines and India, including 62 roles in the risk department.

Westpac will move 190 jobs overseas. Picture: NewsWire / Simon Bullard.

Finance Sector Union National Secretary Julia Angrisano slammed the move.

“Westpac made $7 billion in profit in the last financial year, a result the CEO said would ‘set Westpac up for growth and success’. Is this what ‘growth and success’ looks like for Westpac workers?,” Ms Angrisano said.

According to the union, the offshore relocation could leave customers’ data exposed.

“These are skilled bank workers managing complex commercial relationships and sensitive information,” Ms Angrisano said.

“Our members who work at Westpac have told us about their concerns not just for their own jobs, but for customers and the security of their data.”

In a statement, a Westpac spokesperson said the company employs more than 30,000 people across the country.

Despite the move, the big four bank says it employees over 30,000 Aussies/ Picture: NewsWire / Glen Campbell

“From time to time, we change the way we operate and this can impact some roles and responsibilities,” the spokesperson said.

“When this happens, we work closely with employees to provide tailored support and assistance with career transition. We try to keep as many employees in the Westpac Group as we can, through retraining and redeployment.”

The union said it has written to both the NSW and SA state premiers asking for them to intervene.

The FSU said workers were concerned about how account information would be handled, with one worker, who declined to be identified, saying “it is risky to send this information to Manila”.

“Given the sensitivity and risk associated with the kinds of accounts we manage, it’s clear that Westpac hasn’t considered the risk this poses to customers, shareholders and staff, a worker said.

“This will have a detrimental impact on Westpac’s reputation and credibility in the market, it is risky to send this information to Manila!”

Another employee said “I never thought this role would have been outsourced to an offshore ‘partner’ given the complexity and compliance risks associated with the complex accounts we work with.”

Originally published as Westpac set to move 190 Aussie jobs overseas