Public relations Telstra-style falls flat with customer

A NSW North Coast reader sent this letter on to me with a wry observation about "a caring and compassionate Telstra".

I am astounded at what can only be described as the arrogance of this national telecommunications giant asserting in the letter that "we will look at what we can do to support our Grafton staff to find alternative jobs" - when around 180 local people will be looking for work in a region where unemployment runs well above the national and state average and an individual is likely to be out of work for at least a year before finding regular employment (usually on a casual or part-time basis).

This is a recent Keep Australia Working Regional Employment Plan assessment of prospects in the Richmond-Tweed and Clarence Valley:

In April 2010, the unemployment rate for the priority employment area was 8.1 per cent, higher than the April seasonally adjusted national unemployment rate of 5.4 per cent. Moreover, the youth unemployment rate for the same period was 12.7 per cent, compared with the national average of 11.7 per cent.
The participation rate in the region has decreased to 51.1 per cent as of April 2010, well below the national average of 65.4 per cent.
The average unemployment duration for job seekers in this region is longer than the national average (43 weeks compared with 34 weeks nationally). This represents a significant barrier to employment given factors such as loss of skills and motivation. The region is also characterised by well‐below‐average levels of educational attainment.

Transcript of the TELSTRA letter:

7th October 2010

Telstra Country Wide
North Coast NSW

[Name and address redacted for privacy reasons]

Thank you for your letter regarding Telstra's call centre consolidation and the potential impacts in Grafton and the Clarence Valley. I appreciate your concern for our staff and the community.

There is never a good time for such decisions and they are never easy. Please be assured that Telstra has taken into consideration feedback from affected employees and acknowledges the representations made by the community.

Like any organisation, Telstra must continue to make changes to remain competitive in a fast-changing market. Nonetheless, Telstra will continue to maintain a local presence in Grafton and the wider North Coast region in Telstra Country Wide, through our field workforce, and in our business and retail stores.

Over coming weeks, we will look at what we can do to support our Grafton staff to find alternative jobs. We will also support our people throughout the process with access to our employee assistance program and relocation assistance. Redundancy packages are also available and are among the most generous offered in Australia.

I hope that this explanation will go some way to reassuring you that we have explored every option in looking to continue our business call centre presence in Grafton before making a final decision.

Sincerely,

Michael Sharpe

General Manager

Telstra Country Wide

Michael.Sharpe@team.telstra.com

TELSTA CORPORATION LIMITED (ABN 33 OSI 775 556) I P.O. Box 1123 Lismore NSW 2480 P 1800 687 8291