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11 March 2013

Telkom offers Voluntary Separation and Early Retirement Packages

Telkom has announced to its employees that management and bargaining unit staff will be afforded the opportunity of applying for voluntary severance (VSPs) and early retirement packages (VERPs) from 15 March 2013 until 31 August 2013.

This follows formal consultation with internal and external stakeholders, including the three recognised trade unions – Communication Workers Union (CWU), South African Communication Union (SACU) and Solidarity. This was necessary as the majority of Telkom’s employees who form part of the Bargaining Unit are primarily represented by these Organised Labour outfits.

The move is aimed at enabling Telkom to achieve its business objectives, secure its sustainability and commercial viability by rebalancing its workforce in line with its strategic imperatives.

Thami Msubo, Telkom’s Chief of Human Resources, says: “the VSP/VERP offer is necessary as there is an urgent need for the company to address its human capital requirements which impacts substantially and directly on the company’s cost base. We endeavour to improve efficiencies and re-align skill levels with the changes in our business and network to deliver what our customers want. The VSP/VERP offer is the most efficient and non-invasive manner in which the company is able to begin effecting control on its headcount costs”.

Msubo emphasised that the decision to apply for a package is at the sole discretion of every employee. However, the employer also has the sole discretion to accept or decline the application based on the business requirements.

The criteria that will be used in the approval of applications for voluntary severance (VSPs) and early retirement packages (VERPs) will be business and critical skills requirements.

“After the VSP and VERP window period closes, and if the process has not achieved the desired results, the Company may embark on retrenchments. Future retrenchment processes and severance packages will be done in accordance with the Labour Relations Act,” concluded Msubo.

For further enquiries, please contact:

Pynee Chetty

Senior Specialist: Media Relations

Group Communication

Tel:+27 12 642 1716

Mobile: +27 81 389 7874

Email: chettpr2@telkom.co.za

OR

Leigh-Ann Francis

Specialist: Media Relations

Group Communication

Tel: +27 12 642 1728

Mobile: +27 81 391 4780

Email: francilm@telkom.co.za

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ABOUT TELKOM:

Telkom is a leading communications services provider in South Africa. We had consolidated operating revenue of R16.8 billion and normalised profit after tax of R1, 683 million for the period ended 30 September 2015. Total assets amounted to R41.9 billion and equity attributable to the owners of Telkom to R23.5 billion as of 30 September 2015. The group generated normalised free cash flow of R1.4 billion for the period ended 30 September 2015.

As of 30 September 2015, we had approximately 3.3 million telephone access lines in service and 1,030,441 ports connected via MSAN access. We offer business, residential and payphone customers a wide range of services and products, including:

  • fixed-line retail voice services using PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) lines, including ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) lines, and the sale of subscription based value-added voice services and calling plans;
  • fixed-line customer premises equipment rental and sales services both voice and data needs and these include PABX, Computers, Routers, Modems, Telephone handsets and other ancillary equipment;
  • interconnection services, including terminating and transiting traffic from South African mobile operators, as well as from international operators and transiting traffic from mobile to international destinations;
  • fixed-line data services, including domestic and international data transmission services, such as point-to-point leased lines, ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line) services, packet-based services, managed data networking services and internet access and related information technology services;
  • Data Centre Operations includes e-commerce, application service provider, hosting, data storage, e-mail and security services;
  • W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), a 3G next generation network, including fixed voice services, data services and nomadic voice services;
  • mobile communication services, including voice services, data services and handset sales through our mobile navbar-brand called Telkom Mobile;
  •  information and communication services including cloud services, infrastructure services, workspace services, global service integration management and hardware and network equipment sales locally, in seven African countries, the UK and Dubai through Business Connexion Group; and
  • other services including directory services, through Trudon (Pty) Ltd, wireless data services, through Swiftnet (Pty) Ltd.

Convergence is one of our key strategic initiatives in building a sustainable future for Telkom.  We will lead the provision of converged services in South Africa in support of our mission statement: Seamlessly connecting people to a better life.