14,000 jobs might be axed

Think about the retrenchment costs ....

Also, if service is already bad now, what more when the jobs go ?



14,000 Telstra jobs 'face axe'
13-09-2005
From: AAP

Job threat ... A Telstra worker checks telephone lines / File
TELSTRA and the Federal Government are being urged to release a secret report which allegedly outlines plans by the telco to slash as many as 14,000 jobs.

The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) today said the 104-page report by Telstra's chief operations officer Greg Winn raised serious questions for the Government and the telco giant.

"The document is believed to detail plans to cut more than 10,000 jobs, many in rural and regional Australia," CPSU assistant secretary Stephen Jones said.

"How will Telstra meet its commitment to improve service delivery to regional Australia with a reduced workforce?

"As the number one shareholder, when was the prime minister aware of these job cuts?"

Opposition communications spokesman Stephen Conroy said he had written to the Australian Stock Exchange and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) to investigate the Telstra report, saying the telco could have breached its disclosure rules.

"The document reportedly outlines a strategy where Telstra will cut a range of its services and slash jobs as a way to reduce annual costs by around $12 billion," Senator Conroy wrote.

"This information is potentially price sensitive.

"I am concerned that while journalists and analysts seem to have been widely briefed on the proposal, there has been no disclosure by Telstra to the market under ASX listing rule 3.1."

Telstra spokesman Rod Bruem refused to comment on whether the document existed.

He said Telstra was still carrying out a major internal review of its operations.

"Telstra is reviewing all its operations as is on the public record and we will be announcing the results of that at the end of October," he said.

"I think any statements from the union prior to this is speculation."

The CPSU has written to key Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce about the possible job cuts at Telstra.

Mr Jones said if the cuts went ahead, they would have a major impact in Senator Joyce's home state of Queensland.

He said the internal Telstra document outlined plans to axe about 14,000 jobs, or about 20 per cent of the telco's workforce.

"Job cuts of this magnitude would have an enormous impact," Mr Jones said.

"In Queensland, communities such as Toowoomba, Cairns, Maroochydore and Townsville would be hit hard.

"Will this cost-cutting program lead to more off-shoring of jobs to India or China?

"How many regional jobs is the Government prepared to sacrifice in order to improve Telstra's flagging share price?

"In the interest of transparency and informed public debate on Telstra, this document should be released immediately."

News of the document comes as the Government tries to push its Telstra sale legislation through parliament this week.