Telstra has been informed by the Communications Workers Union (CWU) of a proposed strike and has taken measures to prevent disruption for customers and those not participating in the action.
Telstra workers could be poised to strike after union members voted for the option of industrial action amid an ongoing pay row.
The union has called Andy Penn's comments over the skill level of telco workers in Australia a "complete disrespect" to the 8,000 employees being let go.
An outage suffered by Telstra causing ATMs to shut down has sparked concerns over the number of technicians roles the company is said to be axing.
Around 55 technicians working on the Telstra copper network connecting and maintaining the national broadband network were sacked on the spot on Friday, the CEPU said.
The Communications Electrical Plumbing Union (CEPU) has accused Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull of “wasteful duplication” over his commitment to a new trial of overhead electricity infrastructure to deliver a fibre-to-the-premise NBN in Tasmania.
Telstra’s director of government relations James Shaw has defended the condition of the telco’s copper network, saying it’s difficult to accept claims that it is “falling apart.”
The Communications Workers Union, the communications branch of the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU), plans to meet with Telstra on Tuesday to learn more about the telco’s restructuring plans and what they mean for industry jobs, according to CWU national assistant secretary Ken Hardisty.