- Telenor has already sacked more than 100 employees
- Previously, Telenor shut down its 17 country wide service centres that rendered 218 employees jobless
by SHAH NAWAZ MOHAL
Telenor Pakistan, a major telco of the country, is currently in the process to sack hundreds of its employees. Already more than 100 employees from technical, sales and other department have been sacked during past couple of weeks, Pakistan Today has reliably learnt.
Many observers fear that the company is aiming to lay off around 300 to 400 employees during the ongoing purge. Two months back Telenor decided to wind down its 17 service centres, as a result, 218 employees lost their jobs after being paid a payout package as compensation. However, it was just the beginning of the sacking process for many remaining employees.
Telenor, the second largest telecom operator in the country with over 39 million subscribers and 29pc of market share, is undergoing a second spell of lay off within months of each other with a question mark over many careers.
Previously, more than 2000 employees lost their jobs when the merger of Mobilink and Warid happened. Mobilink dismissed 30pc of its workforce, while Warid sent away 70pc of its employees as per the formula mutually agreed upon.
The merger of Ufone and PTCL resulted in entire outsourcing of their network operation and other functions. The adverse effects of wholesale outsourcing will surface in the long run, many observers fear.
‘Telecom companies are some of the most vibrant and viable entities in private sector. Thousands of individuals are directly employed by these companies while many others are indirectly earning a living by working in subcontractors and vendors attached to them. Every major university is offering degree in telecom engineering and thousands of students graduate from them. It is high time that government and high ups of these companies devise a strategy and take concrete steps in this regard,’ said a recently discharged employee.
When contacted for a comment on the matter of sackings, Knut Olsen, the chief human resources officer, Telenor Pakistan replied, “Telenor Pakistan is the second largest telecom operator in Pakistan with immense contribution to Pakistan’s economy and society. Since inception, Telenor Pakistan has invested over US$ 3.5 billion and contributed PKR 243 billion to the national exchequer in addition to providing livelihood to thousands of Pakistanis. With a good start of the year, our commitment to empower Pakistani society and to realise our ambition of bringing benefits of communication to the masses remains strong. However, with the changing business environment and the evolving needs of our customers, we have to stay relevant, as an organisation and as an industry. To cope with this shift in the telecom sector, some positions become redundant while some positions are vacated as a matter of routine business including performance reviews and resignations to pursue opportunities elsewhere. We are always on the lookout for attracting and retaining good talent and aim to reallocate resources within the organisation to keep jobs intact instead of replacing.”
