Put Telstra profit into Aussie jobs

Date: 12 February 2004

Unions representing telecommunication and IT workers claim today's record half-yearly profit announcements shows there is no need for Telstra to send more Australian jobs offshore.

"Thousand of people currently doing work for Telstra are on tenterhooks. They don't know if they will still have a job at the end of the year. They are wondering why a company which is already massively profitable, needs to send more Aussie jobs offshore," said the CPSU National Secretary Adrian O'Connell.
Industry experts are predicting at least 1500 Telstra jobs will disappear to outsourcing companies based in India over the next 12 months.
"By offshoring vast chunks of its IT network, Telstra is damaging Australia's ability to compete in the global knowledge economy. These short-term decisions are hurting the local IT industry and forcing Australia's best and brightest IT minds to leave the country," said Mr O'Connell.
"It is time for Telstra and the Federal Government to put Australian jobs, skills and the national interest, above massive profits," he said.
Telstra's after-tax profit was $2.29 billion for the latest six months - almost double the level from the previous corresponding period
"That figure that may please Telstra shareholders but it is cold comfort to the 50,000 Telstra workers who lost their jobs in the last decade," said Mr O'Connell.
"Relentless cost-cutting has not led to cheaper phone bills for anyone. In fact the opposite is true, people pay more than they ever did. Line rental alone has increased by over 20% in the past two years," he said.

For comment,
Adrian O'Connell 0418 977 170
Larissa Andleman 0408 424 687

CPSU media officer: Dermot Browne 0408 265 081

For further information

Contact:	Adrian O’Connell
Union:	CPSU
Phone:	1300 137 636
Contact Mobile:	0418 977 170
Email:	Larissa Andleman
WWW:	0408 424 687

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