Woolworths to offshore hundreds of corporate jobs

Woolworths, Australia's largest supermarket group, used a Sydney headquarters internal meeting to announce that around 700 corporate positions will be transferred to shared-service centres in Bengaluru, India, and Manila, the Philippines. The roles affected cover finance operations, IT infrastructure and customer analytics. The company said it expected the phased transition to be completed by the end of 2027.

Woolworths Group CEO Amanda Bardwell wrote to employees that the decision was part of a 1.5-billion-Australian-dollar cost-cutting target for the 2027 financial year. The company said affected staff would be offered enhanced severance and internal-relocation options. Independent economist Saul Eslake said the move was a concrete reflection of mounting competitive pressure on the retail sector.

Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) national secretary Gerard Dwyer described the decision as "a breach of the social contract" and said workplace actions would begin next week in Brisbane and Sydney. Federal Employment Minister Murray Watt said the Fair Work Commission would monitor the process. Woolworths shares rose 0.8% on the ASX to A$28.90. Not investment advice.