Strike action possible after ANZ job cuts

Bank workers could walk off the job in protest at ANZ Banking Group's plans to axe 1,000 positions in 2012.

The bank on Monday said it would cut a total of 1,000 jobs from its 24,000-strong Australian workforce by September.

It told staff that 492 jobs would go in the latest round of cuts, which it kicked off in January when it axed 133 positions.

The Finance Sector Union's national secretary Leon Carter said the union was considering all industrial options, including staging strikes in the banking sector.

"The FSU will be looking at any action available," he told reporters in Melbourne.

The union, which will encourage members to get involved in anti-bank job cuts campaigns, fears more than 10,000 banking positions will be lost in the next 18 months.

Mr Carter said the banking sector has already lost 2,000 jobs since the start of 2012.

The union estimates that another 8,000 jobs will go by the end of 2013.

The FSU is calling on the federal and state governments to step in and get involved to protect bank workers.

Mr Carter said the union wanted a jobs summit to bring all industry players and government into the tent.

ANZ met union officials earlier on Monday to outline the bank's latest job cuts.

The bank also pledged to keep its senior executive pay packets fixed for the year.

"We are acutely conscious of the impact of these reductions on individual staff members and we will be making every effort to use natural attrition, to redeploy staff, and to utilise our training funds to support those people affected," ANZ chief executive Australia Philip Chronican said.

"Although we need to make difficult decisions in the short term to adapt to the new global environment for banks, the economic outlook for Australia remains positive and this helps underpin our continued investment in customer service and in emerging areas of opportunity."

Mr Carter said while the lender will cut 1,000 jobs from its Australian operations by September, several hundred more are likely to be shifted to Bangalore in India or the Philippines' capital Manila.

He said none of the roles will be lost by natural attrition and Victoria will take the brunt of the job cuts.

Mr Carter's comments are in contrast to an ANZ statement released on Wednesday, in which it said "every effort" would be made to use natural attrition as well as staff redeployment.

Most of the job cuts will affect back office, processing, and middle management workers, predominantly at ANZ's headquarters in Melbourne.

The FSU understands that ANZ's decision is limited to making job cuts in its Australian operations, although a small number of cuts will be made its Fiji business.

No jobs will be lost in New Zealand, Mr Carter said.

ANZ's rival Westpac has recently announced that 560 employees will go, with the FSU faring its cuts could hit 1,000.

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