The move comes after the bank announced 3,500 jobs would go as part of a major restructure
ANZ Bank is being taken to the Fair Work Commission by the Finance Sector Union (FSU), with the union seeking urgent intervention over the bank's plans to cut 3,500 jobs.
The FSU said on Monday it is lodging a dispute with the FWC, calling for intervention and alleging ANZ failed to properly consult staff on job cuts.
"Loyal staff are being thrown on the scrapheap without clarity or respect. That's why we've taken ANZ to the Fair Work Commission, because workers deserve honesty and certainty about their future," said FSU National Secretary Julia Angrisano in a statement.
"ANZ calls this a restructure, but to workers it feels like chaos. Families are left in limbo, staff are blindsided, and whole communities will feel the impact when thousands of secure jobs disappear."
But ANZ has rejected the claims, saying it was confident it had complied with consultation obligations.
"ANZ has consistently engaged with our staff and the union on our proposed organisational changes," an ANZ spokesperson told HRD in a statement.
"We are confident we have met all of our consultation obligations."
The bank announced last week that it is expecting approximately 3,500 employees to depart the company by September 2026.
This is part of a restructure that the bank previously said would eliminate duplication and complexity in the company.
According to the FSU, 2,118 roles will be affected in Australian Retail Division, with 794 roles to be made redundant.
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The FWC case comes after the bank agreed to pay $240 million after admitting misconduct across products and services that impacted nearly 65,000 customers, according to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
"ANZ can find $240 million to pay for unconscionable conduct, yet it's cutting 3,500 staff. It shows a bank that is completely unhinged, workers and customers are the ones paying the price for executive failure," Angrisano said in a statement.
ANZ CEO Nuno Matos previously said the company's job cuts will have "limited impacts to frontline customer-facing roles."
"We know this will be difficult news for some of our staff. While some changes have already commenced, we are committed to working through the impacts as quickly and safely as we can, with both care and respect for our teams affected," the CEO said last week.
ANZ is one of three banks that announced cuts to its workforce last week. NAB announced it would be cutting more than 400 jobs, while Bendigo Bank announced 145 roles would go as part of a restructure.
