Telecom outsourcing could cost jobs

Hundreds of technical jobs at Telecom are on the line as the company looks to outsource positions overseas.

Labour communications spokeswoman Clare Curran told The Dominion Post she had been told between 400 and 1500 jobs could go.

Telecom spokesman Mark Watts confirmed that "six or seven" companies had been asked to "workshop" proposals but it was not a formal tender process.

But Ms Curran said she had been told a tender process was well advanced within Telecom "that could and is likely to outsource a large number of hi-tech jobs overseas".

Any losses were expected to be concentrated in Telecom's in-house IT business Gen-i.

Mr Watts said no decisions had been made and the figures cited of possible job losses were speculation.

However, he could not confirm there would be no changes made or there would be no job losses.

Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly said the changes were a "narrow short-term move" by Telecom.

- NZPA