Telecommunications services in the bush are set to be dealt another blow as Telstra confirmed this week Lightning Ridge and Walgett's field team would lose two of its six employees.
The Ridge's team leader and a field service staff member have been made redundant as Telstra cutbacks continue across the State.
The field service staff member, who has been with Telstra for three years, will cease work tomorrow, and the team leader is set to finish up in the next few weeks as his position was being amalgamated with Walgett.
Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union spokesperson Lyle Brittain said a number of Telstra employees throughout the great western area covering a distance from Broken Hill across to the New England were losing their jobs.
He said Telstra was taking work away from country areas.
"Country employees have taken redundancy packages before, but many of them have a local knowledge that cannot easily be replaced, and what we'll see is a lack of services for the area," he said.
"Telstra said it would bring people to isolated areas if staff were short but many don't want to work out here.
"With the storms infrequently experienced around the Ridge the local guys know where the problems lie and can fix the problem rather quickly, this won't happen anymore."
Mr Brittain said he believed more redundancies were on the way within the construction arm of Telstra.
"That causes another problem, because often it is hard to get accredited contractors to come to isolated areas such as the Ridge and many now aren't wanting to come out here because it barely covers their costs.
"I think the latest move is just another step in the process to sell of the rest of Telstra."
Mr Brittain said he believed when Telstra got down to 20,000 employees the Government would try and sell off the remainder of the company.
"They've currently got 4000 employees to go before they reach that target."
Mr Brittain said Telstra would also become more alienated from its customers.
"The local guys know Lightning Ridge and Walgett and its people, they (Telstra) will lose that personal relationship that currently exists, but they're too busy trying to fix their shareholders first.
"The CEO is just losing money all the time.
"Telstra is trying to shun off its responsibilities and to remove jobs from young people who may have had a career in Telstra and it is absolutely pathetic."
Mr Brittain said Telstra claimed new technological networks did not require as many men out in the field, but manual things still needed to be done.
"Digging holes and laying cable can't be fixed by technology.
"I believe they haven't assessed the situation properly and as a result customers are going to suffer in the future.
"To be told as a team leader you have to go, at his age what is he supposed to do?
"Telstra owes the community something, what's the point in training people only to get rid of them a few years down the track?
"It's just incompetence by management."
Mr Brittain said the union met with the commission yesterday in a hearing to try and save some jobs.
Meanwhile, Telstra corporate affairs spokesman Adam Redman said the company's performance during the past five years had improved with Telstra now meeting 90 per cent of its demands.
He admitted it was no secret Telstra had reduced its staff levels from 90,000 in 1993 to the current 40,000.
Mr Redman said Telstra was trying to lower its costs, but he said this wasn't at the expense of service.
He said Telstra only removed employees when there was a duplication of functions, and while redundancies weren't done insensitively, more numbers would be going.
"All employees affected will receive a generous redundancy package and we will put them through our job placement program, so it is not as traumatic."
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