The Finance Sector Union (FSU) has said it will continue to monitor the NAB restructure to ensure advisers are not left with an increased workload as a result of company changes.
The FSU has said it welcomes NAB’s commitment to avoid large-scale adviser job cuts as it develops a new company direction, but says it wants to ensure the changes do not increase pressure on existing staff.
“What NAB are saying is that not only are they going to transition this over a period of time, which enables mechanisms like natural attrition and workforce planning to actually minimise the impact on workers,” FSU national secretary Leon Carter told InvestorDaily.
“But what we find is that the people who are left behind actually have to do an increasing amount of work.
“So we’ll be working very closely with our members in NAB to say, ‘As this transformation happens, are you still able to do your work within your ordinary hours?'”
As part of its restructure, NAB has said the bank is looking at centralising its technology and support functions.
Meanwhile, the FSU noted the industry is experiencing an increasing reliance on technology but wants to ensure advancement does not have a negative impact on advisers.
“As we have seen with previous technological advances in the finance sector, the take-up rate isn’t always as fast as expected,” Mr Carter said.
“NAB’s new approach has a heavy reliance on technology, and what we don’t want to see happen is workers moved on to other roles, or moved on all together, before the full impact of technology developments is known.”
