Clare
CURRAN
Communications and IT Spokesperson

21 March 2013 MEDIA STATEMENT
Telecom to shed up to 1500 jobs

Telecom is set to announce the loss of up to 1500 jobs, a move that will send an economic shock through the country, and the Minister responsible for jobs is sitting on his hands, says Labour’s Communications and IT spokesperson Clare Curran.

“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.

“This is a loss of skills and knowledge that will bite for years to come. These are not low wage, low skill jobs. These are the sort of jobs that we want more of. These people are likely to have partners with highly skilled jobs. Their children are our future talent pool.

“Many of these highly skilled individuals will flee to Australia. These jobs are going because there is no economic plan. Steven Joyce even admitted today that economic plans don’t create jobs, we know for a fact his half-baked Business Growth Agenda doesn’t.

“Steven Joyce oversaw the separation of Telecom two years ago to allow the contract for his ultrafast broadband scheme to be given to Chorus. The fact that Telecom was over staffed and unable to properly compete in the market was well signalled.

“Instead of developing a plan to build jobs in this important sector, his Ministry is offering to support Telecom sacked workers by connecting them to recruitment companies!

“National is taking a hands off approach to the single biggest job loss our country has ever seen, all because Steven Joyce says it’s got nothing to do with him.”

ENDS

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