Hundreds of WiseTech Global employees have demanded urgent action from management as AI-driven job cuts loom, warning the company’s approach risks both workers and long-term business capability.
From Monday, staff will begin being told whether they will lose their jobs, despite the company not agreeing to redundancy terms beyond the minimum legal entitlements.
Professionals Australia, the union representing tech workers, said more than 590 employees, over half of the company’s Australian technical workforce signed a petition presented to CEO Zubin Appoo last week. The petition called for fair redundancy packages, transparency and genuine consultation but those concerns have largely been ignored.
The union said the situation reflects a broader turning point for the tech sector, with fear intensifying among workers at the frontline of AI-driven change.
Workers say they are not opposed to AI, but are deeply concerned about how it is being implemented.
Professionals Australia said worker testimony gathered over recent weeks paints a stark picture of the human impact. Members described prolonged periods of extreme stress, sleeplessness and anxiety and, in some cases, said they had sought professional support as the uncertainty continued.
Employees have reported being told their roles could be replaced by AI systems, while also being asked to keep delivering at full capacity through months of uncertainty. They say this has fuelled feelings of being undervalued and fearful about the future, even as they continue doing critical work under sustained pressure.
Internal communications shared with workers, suggesting white-collar roles could be automated within 18 months, have further heightened anxiety during the redundancy process.
Workers have also raised concerns about the replacement of experienced engineers with unproven technology, warning of risks to product quality, operational capability and customer outcomes.
Employees say the prolonged uncertainty is already taking a significant toll, with widespread reports of stress, sleeplessness and declining mental health.
The petition warns that, without transparency and accountability, the transformation risks eroding the very capability the company relies on.
Quote attributable to Paul Inglis, Director at Professionals Australia:
“This is what AI disruption looks like on the ground and workers are terrified. These are the engineers who built WiseTech’s success and they’re now facing job cuts without transparency or fairness.”
“Workers are being told their jobs could be automated, while still being expected to perform at full capacity through months of uncertainty.”
“In just eight weeks, union membership at WiseTech has surged over 30 per cent of the technical workforce. That sends a clear message: workers do not feel protected navigating this change alone.”
“When more than half the technical workforce signs a petition, that is not noise, it is a warning. Big tech cannot be allowed to reshape the workforce without accountability. Enough is enough.”
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