Following its “strategic transformation plan,” telecommunications giant StarHub has announced that it will be reducing its workforce.
In a press release dated 3 Oct, StarHub reasoned that the retrenchment of some “300 full-time employees” serves as a part of its “operational efficiency programme”.
The “strategic review process,” stated the company, aims to increase “productivity” and “speed in decision making,” as well as reducing “operating expenditure.
The StarHub staff members affected by the move are those in “non- customer facing functions.”
The telecommunications company added: “On-going natural attrition and tighter management of contractor roles will result in additional roles being made redundant.
StarHub will begin notifying said employees “no later than the end of October 2018.”
Chief Executive Officer of StarHub Mr Peter Kaliaropoulos said: “The intense competitive ferocity right across the market, new entrants, lower voice revenues, thinning margins for fixed broadband services, high content costs for Pay TV operations and high market penetration for mobile and fixed services, has necessitated efficiency optimisation initiatives as part of the strategic transformation plan.”
The local telecommunications giant reassured that it will “work closely with its affiliated companies, the Singapore Industrial and Services Employees’ Union (SISEU), NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute), and government agencies such as Workforce Singapore to identify suitable roles for impacted employees.”
Additionally, StarHub will be providing support in terms of “comprehensive career transition and outplacement counselling,” which will encompass coaching and skills upgrading programmes.
“We wish to recognise the extensive contribution that our impacted employees have made to the company’s past development and growth. Such decisions are never taken lightly.
“I am very aware of the impact on all our employees, and we are making every effort to support those impacted through this challenging transition.
“The redundancies are not an individual performance issue but one of strategic realignment of StarHub. We have been extremely fortunate to have many competent people in our team but some positions are not sustainable given the current industry pressures,” said Mr Kaliaropoulos.
However, Mr Kaliaropoulous added that in spite of this retrenchment exercise involving non-customer facing staff, “StarHub will continue to grow its workforce in areas such as cyber security, home and enterprise solutions and customer care.”
