Telstra declares it won't outsource maintenance, repairs

Telstra has put the lid on a purely outsourced service and maintenance model but has not ruled out a potential partnership trial, casting workers in continued doubt about their futures.

The national carrier was forced to come clean about its plans after it was brought to light last month that core service operations, including service installation, fault repairs and line maintenance could potentially be outsourced if a trial was successful.

Whilst the telco titan professes to be scoping different models at present, it has rejected the model -using one external contractor as a single provider as part of the trial," a spokesperson told ZDNet Australia.

However, the carrier is still considering a partnership model and an internal model and is looking at the possibility of trailing both.

The aim of the trial is to consider the concept of having one workgroup responsible for one specific geographic area, rather than multiple workgroups working in one one suburban street, for example.

However, shadow minister for communications Lindsay Tanner remains sceptical of Telstra's future plans.

-Labor cautiously welcomes Telstra's decision to not proceed with full-scale outsourcing but is concerned that a question mark remains over Telstra's longer term intentions regarding outsourcing," a spokesperson for Tanner's office told ZDNet Australia.

Telstra anticipates making a decision about the trial early March but said any talk of job losses is -purely speculation".

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Talkback 1 comments

    Basically, Telstra contracts s ...Anonymous -- 25/02/02

    Basically, Telstra contracts service to contractors now. That service is on a time basis. If the Tech can't fix your phone in about 20 minutes from arriving, he's technically not being payed by Telstra. He leaves with the phone still not working. If your lucky, he'll let you know he's going to have to leave as he can't afford to stay, you can rereport it with Telstra & he'll get the new docket and you have another 20 minutes to slog at it. Welcome to the new Telstra Faults and service methodology!

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