Industrial action by security company Brinks has left National Australia Bank's (NAB) ATMs in Melbourne empty of cash.
According to press reports the bank has resorted to using its own staff to re-stock half of its 310 ATMs in the city following the strike by its armoured carrier service provider Brinks.
In a statement on its Web site, NAB says: "We are working to restock and service our ATMs throughout the strike period and to ensure that services are restored as quickly as possible."
As a result of the strike customers are being forced to use rival banks' machines to withdraw cash. The bank says customers will receive refunds for the regular $1.50 fee charged for using non-NAB ATMs.
A NAB spokeswoman told reporters that the strike began to hit the system on Thursday but the bank had managed to stockpile some money in preparation and ATMs did not start running out of cash until Friday.
Neither NAB nor Brinks have disclosed the reasons for the strike action.