Telecom to slash jobs

Telecom to slash 1500 jobs: Labour

Telecom is set to slash up to 1500 jobs, Labour communications spokeswoman Clare Curran said in a statement today

Stuff,

21 March, 2013

Curran said in February that job losses were on the cards at Telecom, and put the figure between 400 and 1500 positions. The move would send an economic shock through the country, she said today.

"The ICT sector is strategically important to our economy and is essential to a high-growth, high-wage nation. I have been informed that instead of growth, what we will see is an economic shock with hundreds, perhaps up to 1500, highly skilled workers being put out of a job.

"Losing this number of jobs from a single employer is the biggest job loss ever in New Zealand from a single company. It's unprecedented."

Telecom did not scotch Curran's statement. Spokesman Andrew Pirie said no numbers had been set yet.

However, Telecom chief executive Simon Moutter announced in February that the company would axe "hundreds of jobs" this year and did not rule out more than 1000 jobs going.

He said the across-the-board cuts would come on top of the net loss of 373 permanent positions at the company this year.

At the time of the announcement Telecom employed 7603 full-time equivalents.

This month Tim Miles, boss of the company's Gen-i technology division, said Gen-i Australia would shed 120 of its 180 jobs in Australia.

The statement issued by Curran did not give her source for the job loss number.

Pirie said Telecom would make a statement when it settled on a figure, which he expected would be weeks rather than months away.