Commonwealth Bank and its staff are locked in a tense standoff over a new enterprise bargaining agreement as the bank pushes deeper into AI. The previous agreement formally expired last month and the Financial Services Union has now told employees that months of negotiations have hit a wall. Union officials say CBA management refuses to agree to specific protections around artificial intelligence or to pause branch closures and offshore moves. Anxiety is rising among staff who worry digital tools may reshape or even replace their jobs.
Under the proposed enterprise deal, the Financial Services Union wants concrete safeguards that limit how AI can be used to change roles or reduce headcount at Commonwealth Bank. The union also seeks a moratorium on closing physical branches and shifting more work to offshore centres, particularly CBA India. Management is resisting those demands and is determined to preserve flexibility as economic and technology conditions shift. That sticking point has effectively frozen progress on broader pay and conditions.
Financial Services Union communications to staff argue that CBA is largely defending the existing agreement rather than addressing new risks created by automation and restructuring. The union points to 800 job losses already recorded this year as evidence that the current settings are not protecting workers. Members are also told that more functions have been moved offshore, with CBA India taking a growing share of back office and support work. Branch shutdowns across the country deepen concern that frontline roles are next in line as AI and digital banking expand.
CBA’s stalled talks are an early test of how heavily AI, offshoring and physical branch networks will feature in future banking wage deals. Other institutions are watching closely, because a breakthrough or a breakdown here could shape expectations across the sector. The gap over AI safeguards, job security and branch strategy remains the core unresolved question in CBA’s bargaining.
