Australian PM calls on banks to keep employment

CANBERRA, Dec. 6 (Chinese media) -- Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on

Saturday called on Australia's banks to maintain their employment levels.

He made the remarks after the ANZ bank announced on Friday it will cut 800

jobs before the end of the year.

Speaking in Melbourne, Rudd asked all banks to do whatever they could to

maintain their employment levels.

"This is a very difficult set of economic circumstances for everybody. It's

very difficult for families as well," Australian Associated Press quoted Rudd as

saying.

"Each individual bank's circumstances is different. We would encourage and

urge the banks to continue to provide maximum employment for the workforce.

That's the right thing to do," he said.

The prime minister also said the government was doing all it could to

stimulate the economy but said there was no "silver bullet solution" to the

current global economic crisis.