CWU meets with Optus on job cuts
Optus has announced that it will cut 314 jobs from across its business units, with about half the losses coming from the managerial levels. The company says the cuts are a response to competitive pressures from low cost operators in both the fixed broadband and mobile markets.
The CWU met with Optus on Thursday 4 May to discuss the move which will see a significant number of customer service and IT jobs sent offshore. Altogether, roughly a quarter of the job losses will be through offshoring.
At the same time, 140 new positions are being created. However, while Optus says it will encourage redeployment where possible, it is not clear how many of these new jobs will actually represent practical opportunities for employees facing redundancy.
The CWU encourages members affected by these cuts and wanting to remain in Optus to contact their state branch to discuss options for redeployment. Where employees have readily transferable skills, there is always a strong argument for their retention within the company.
