Reports today that Telstra has struck a deal with IBM to send 450 local IT jobs to India are of serious concern.
Telstra is majority publicly owned and still largely a monopoly. Its activities are at the heart of the Australian Information Technology sector. It makes around 90% of the profits in the Australian telecommunications sector. With the privileges of monopoly come responsibilities. For Telstra to do a deal with IBM to outsource these jobs flies in the face of the national interest.
The Australian IT sector just cannot afford to lose 450 skilled jobs to India. Reports that Telstra plans to send 1500 jobs offshore in the next few years are even more disturbing.
Yet again the Howard Government is allowing Telstra to behave like a fully privatised monopoly, free of national interest objectives. The Howard Government is happy for Telstra to milk Australians with higher line rental prices while sending key IT jobs overseas.
Labor wants Telstra back on the job-providing decent telecommunications services and using its huge economic power to support the Australian information economy.
Communications Minister Daryl Williams must make a stand for the Australian economy and ask Telstra to rethink this disastrous decision.
For further information contact Lindsay Tanner or Peter van Vliet on (03) 9347 5000 or 0408 188 055, or Kate Lundy on (02) 6277 3334.
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10 October 2003 – Australia vs Offshore – how can Australia win? ‘Women are IT’ Debate |
