KEY POINTS:
As many as 500 ANZ National staff are in for some retraining as the banking giant shifts back office work currently done in New Zealand to Bangalore in India.
Finsec, the banking union, said 500 jobs will be lost but ANZ National chief executive Graham Hodges vehemently denied
this and accused the union of sensationalising the situation.
"None of our staff need to lose their jobs," he said.
Work was moving to India but the bank was confident it could redeploy workers to alternative roles.
"It is very hard to get skilled workers. We are choosing to use our workers, who we want to retain, in a different type of work which is more sustainable longer term.
"That fits with a what you call a higher wage, higher skill economy," he said.
But the unions were having none of the spin. There were statements today condemning the move from Finsec, the Council of Trade Unions (CTU) and the Finance Sector Union of Australia (FSU).
The unions are calling on customers to judge the Melbourne-based bank's commitment to New Zealand and find it wanting.
"ANZ National is leading a race to the bottom for cheap labour in India by proposing to send these jobs offshore," Finsec campaigns director Andrew Campbell said.
The bank employs 9600 people in New Zealand. In the past three years the bank has increased its workforce in New Zealand by 800.
It has about 33 per cent of the residential mortgage market, 40 per cent of the rural banking market and 35 per cent to 40 per cent of the business banking market.
It made a $1.04 billion profit in New Zealand in the year ended September, 2007.
CTU president Helen Kelly said ANZ National was "ditching" its workers the moment there is a whiff of extra money to be made".
The FSU said this was the first time ANZ's New Zealand operation had decided to "offshore jobs".
"It's a sad day," said FSU director of campaigning and bargaining Cath Noye.
One major finance company in Australia has reversed a decision to offshore jobs when there had been significant customer concern, she said.
The bank said it is shifting "1 per cent of our New Zealand work" to ANZ Bangalore this calendar year and 5 per cent by the end of 2009.
The work being moved is mostly in the area of processing. It does not include contact centres or any customer-facing roles.
Services to customers would be better because the Bangalore is 6.5 hours behind New Zealand. The workday for processing would be extended to 16 hours, with an eight hour workday in New Zealand supplemented by a eight hour workday in India, the bank said.
"It will ensure we remain competitive in an increasingly globalised marketplace."
The bank is investing in 11 new branches and 80 new ATMs in New Zealand and is investing in technology.
It expects to increase its workforce in New Zealand, not reduce it.
- NZPA