Sol sends Aussie jobs to Philippines

Date: 29 August 2007

Stephen Jones

The CPSU has today strongly condemned Telstra for covertly shifting work previously performed by Australian Telstra staff offshore to the Philippines.

Hundreds of Telstra positions which were made redundant in Melbourne and Brisbane are being shifted to the Philippines through American Labour Hire company TeleTech. This move comes despite Telstra's redundancy notice to staff saying they were losing their jobs for: "operational, structural, technological and economic reasons".

CPSU understands that Telstra managers, who have signed strict confidentiality agreements, are currently in the Philippines assisting TeleTech to set up operations there.

"This makes a mockery of Telstra's current advertising campaign which claims they keep jobs, investment and tax dollars in Australia," said CPSU National Secretary Stephen Jones.

"This move was conceived of and executed in stealth. Telstra made no mention of moving the jobs to the Philippines when they announced these redundancies, but that was obviously what was intended all along.

"They knew they were going to do this, they knew they would use Australian managers to train replacement workers in the Philippines, but they maintained everything was business as usual.

"But this is not business as usual. This is Americans sending Australian jobs to the Philippines. It is also about information security.

"Who knows what information about Telstra customers is being shipped over with Australian jobs?

"If Telstra can't be transparent about making staff redundant how can anyone trust them when it comes to data security?," said Mr Jones.

For comment: Stephen Jones on 0417 261 152

For further information

Contact:	Stephen Jones
Union:	CPSU - National Secretary
Phone:	1300 137 636
Contact Mobile:	0417 261 152

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