2.2 What does digital transformation and automation mean for the future of work in Romania’s banking sector? Digital transformation, automation and other technological innovations have not only resulted in processs optimisation in the banking sector, but job losses, job insecurity and new challenges for trade unions as well. By Razvan Papasima 1 The transformation of the Romanian banking sector over the last dec­ade has led to a great paradox within the industry – as well as a rare trade union triumph. While transactions and lending activities have increased year-on-year, the number of employees working in the sec­tor has declined drastically. According to a September 2020 study published by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Back to Bargaining in Bank­ing. How Digitalisation Plays Romanian Trade Unions an Upper Hand by Ștefan Guga and Marcel Spatari, between 2008 and 2018 the Romanian banking sector lost no less than a quarter of its employees, the largest loss in Europe, with some 40 per cent of bank branches closing. This double movement has been triggered by the proliferation of technological innovation, based on process acceleration and automa­tion, which have taken over some of the work of traditional employ­ees in the banking sector. Geared towards work efficiency and cost reduction, banks have started to reduce their physical presence in 1 Razvan Papasima is a Bucharest-based researcher and freelance jour­nalist. He writes articles and essays on the complex relationship bet­ween the economy, politics, culture and technology, with a particular focus on privatisation, migration and financialisation in Romania. Section 2/ 2.2 29