The industry is rife with speculation that further retrenchments are on the cards at Vodafone, following the telco's expulsion of around 350 staff in May this year.
However, Vodafone has -refused to confirm or deny" the accusations, according to Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU) organiser Mark Brownlow.
-We think it's significant that they've refused to confirm or deny it, if they were not going to do it they'd surely come out and say so," Brownlow told ZDNet Australia.
-We've written to them this morning, demanding discussions with them in accordance with the Act," he added. -They haven't responded either way."
Brownlow said it was difficult for the Union to take any action without concrete evidence that retrenchments are imminent, but said if it verifies the impending action and Vodafone still refuses to meet, it will take the matter to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC).
-We suspect it's going to happen, it's just a question of when," Brownlow said.
Brownlow said that one of the Union's prime concerns was that Vodafone would not offer voluntary redundancies, a move the telco was guilty of when it took out around 350 staff back in May.
The Union was also quick to criticise Optus last month and most recently Hutchison for not providing the option of voluntary redundancies during their elimination of staff.
"Most of the telcos doing this [cutting staff] are not looking for volunteers," Brownlow said. -They should be looking for volunteers in the first instance...it's much more humane."
Further retrenchments at Optus are also imminent, with this next round expected replicate the initial cull in terms of numbers (about 350), and although the CEPU says it has heard -big whispers" out of Victoria, nothing has come to fruition yet.
Whilst Optus refused to say whether it would be offering voluntary redundancies this time around, the Union says -they've made it quite clear that they intend to take the same approach".
Optus staff are -really nervous," Brownlow said. -We think it won't be too far away. Now the election is out of the way we expect it will be this week or next."
Nor will further job losses be as -politically damaging" for the rest of the telco players now, according to Brownlow, who is expecting -considerable numbers" of jobs to be shed in this arena in the up-coming months.
Industry heavyweight Telstra has so far been reticent to reveal up-coming retrenchment arrangements, despite Union accusations that they're in the pipeline.
The only major telecommunications player not to have shed staff this year is AAPT, according to Brownlow. "It seems unusual that they're the only one that haven't," he said, adding that in discussions with AAPT management the Union has been told the telco has -no plans to reduce staff".
-We're hopeful that they won't, but we're not that convinced," Brownlow said.
Vodafone has been contacted for comment.
