The Financial Sector Union has launched a scathing attack on the Commonwealth Bank, labelling its plan to dismantle Bankwest's separate enterprise agreement as "the final nail in the coffin" for Western Australia's oldest lender.
What CBA plans for Bankwest staff
In a move confirmed on Friday, 16 January 2026, CBA intends to fold approximately 1400 Bankwest employees in Western Australia into a single, group-wide bargaining agreement covering its entire workforce of around 33,000 people. This would effectively end Bankwest's status as a standalone employer within the banking giant, which acquired it back in 2008.
Union warns of identity erosion and unfair bargaining
FSU National President Wendy Streets accused CBA of a deliberate strategy to erase the Bankwest brand further, a process she says has been ongoing since the takeover. "They want to disappear the Bankwest brand," Ms Streets stated, "but our members have worked hard to protect Bankwest's unique culture and identity in WA."
The union argues the proposed change creates a grossly uneven bargaining landscape. "This move sets up a situation where around 1400 workers could be forced to bargain alongside more than 33,000 Commonwealth Bank workers," Ms Streets explained. "That is not a level playing field."
Workers fight for their own voice
The FSU contends this is not a minor administrative update but a fundamental issue of workplace democracy. It frames the decision as a choice between Bankwest staff retaining a genuine say over their pay and conditions or being "swallowed up" into a much larger pool where their specific interests could be easily outvoted.
In response, affected Bankwest union members are reportedly petitioning Commonwealth Bank chief executive Matt Comyn directly. They are calling on him to overturn the decision and allow them to remain under a separate enterprise agreement that recognises their distinct workplace.
The union's strong opposition signals a potential industrial dispute on the horizon as CBA pursues its strategy to transition Bankwest into a digital-only banking operation.
