National Australia Bank yesterday began to own up to plans for axing staff that were surprisingly omitted from the strategy briefing conducted three weeks ago.NAB said it will cut more than 50 personal banking staff from branches around the country, most of them in NSW, while adding a net 60 jobs to its business banking operations.The bank said 75 full-time personal banking positions would be lost in branches in NSW, and 38 in other states, while 60 new positions would be created, leading to a net loss of 53 jobs at the bank branches. It was unclear how many of those affected by the job cuts would be hired for the new positions.In business banking, 95 staff would be sacked in support and management, while 155 new small-and-medium enterprise-focussed and specialised jobs would be created, leading to a net gain of 60 jobs.NAB said the 38 jobs lost in personal banking outside NSW were a result of changed patterns of activity in branches. The NSW losses followed a pilot review of operations in that state.The bank said 40 of the new personal banking positions would be in NSW and 20 in Victoria.The minor cuts confirmed yesterday are only the start of a wider cost-cutting program.The Finance Sector Union told the Herald Sun that, based on a series of briefings by banks' management over the last year, it expected more than 000 back-office and technology jobs would be cut or sent offshore.The union says that most of the threatened jobs are in Melbourne and relate to accounts payable, international trade and payments, payroll, lending services and the custody business, the newspaper reported. About 179 contract and full-time technology personnel are also under review.