Telstra’s offshoring disgrace: telco’s responses fall short. Risks remain, fight continues.
Thank you to every member who attended our meeting and demanded answers. Your questions exposed just how reckless and short-sighted Telstra’s massive skills offshoring agenda truly is.
In addition to individual representations we’re making on behalf of individual members, we have sought responses on general issues members have raised with us and received a number of responses from Telstra and the JV.
Many of these responses are vague, incomplete and some raise even more red flags.
Below is a summary of where things stand and what the company has failed to address.
Parental Leave Protections: still no guarantee
Members raised clear and legitimate concerns about how workers on parental leave will be treated during this chaotic restructure.
The JV claims:
- Employees on parental leave “have been contacted.”
- They may return from leave to start a ‘Placement Period’.
- They may bring forward their return date.
- Career transition support will be provided.
But here’s what they didn’t do: They refused to confirm they will comply with s.84 of the Fair Work Act - the return to work guarantee designed to protect workers on parental leave from exactly this kind of mistreatment.
This is a disgrace and another example of Telstra ducking basic legal obligations.
Members on parental leave or expecting to take it are urged to contact their State Branch Official immediately. Do not attempt to navigate this alone.
Visa‑Sponsored Employees: vague promises and real, serious risks
Visa holding members caught up in these changes face potentially life altering consequences if sponsorship is disrupted. The company’s response?
- “1:1 support”
- “External migration advice”
- “Monitoring cases”
- “Advance notice”
In other words: nothing concrete, nothing enforceable, and no real guarantee of protection.
Given the seriousness of visa impacts, we urge all visa‑sponsored members to contact their State Branch Official to seek individual representation, immediately. Do not rely on HR’s vague assurances.
Long Service Leave: some clarity, but check everything
After considerable Union pressure, the JV has now confirmed:
Pro‑rata Long Service Leave will be honoured for employees with at least 12 months’ service.
This is a win, but do not assume the numbers are correct.
Members should review revised redundancy estimates carefully. If anything looks off or if you’re just unsure, contact your State Branch Official for assistance.
Redeployment to Accenture: a labour hire arrangement in disguise?
The company insists that employees who are “redeployed” into Accenture‑based roles will:
- Remain employed by the Joint Venture entity (TLSA); and
- Continue to be covered by the Telstra EA (2024–2027).
But the work itself? It will be performed under Accenture direction, on Accenture systems, under Accenture control.
This raises serious and unresolved concerns:
- Who is the real employer in substance?
- What happens to EA coverage after the Agreement’s nominal expiry?
- How is this a “joint venture” rather than a sham labour supply model?
- Why is Telstra shifting workers into arrangements where operational control is outsourced?
We have demanded further explanation. The answers provided so far are entirely unsatisfactory.
Infosys Employment Offers: weak, non-binding future conditions
Following persistent Union representations on behalf of members, Telstra now claims Infosys is “prepared” to offer terms in any future EA that are “no less favourable” and that a statement in relation to this would appear in the cover letter of any offer of employment made.
Following further consultation, Telstra says they believe they will secure the following commitments from Infosys:
- The retention of hours of work, personal leave and retrenchment benefits
- Not applying to terminate the agreement unless they have employee support
Telstra claims it will be able to confirm as much shortly.
Let’s be clear: On both fronts, this is not a protection. This is not enforceable. This is not good enough.
Why we say this A line in a cover letter is not a binding industrial instrument and cannot be enforced.
This is classic Telstra sleight of hand designed to give the illusion of security while offering none in reality.
We are pushing for real secure outcomes for members caught up in this disgraceful process – not aspirational statements that can’t be enforced and don’t stand up under scrutiny.
What this all means
Across every issue we have raised collectively – parental leave, visas, redeployment, LSL, Infosys transitions, Telstra has offered as little as possible.
Their answers confirm what our members already figured out for themselves. This restructure is rushed, poorly thought out, disrespects legal obligations, undermines our nation’s skills development and retention capabilities, slashes through job security, and exposes workers to real and serious risk.
It is designed to grease the wheels of a massive offshoring and outsourcing operation disguised as “modernisation.”
Telstra is hoping workers will accept vague promises and move on.
We won’t.
We have formally demanded further clarification on each of the above issues and are escalating issues relating to data security, offshoring risks and compliance with our nation’s employment and industrial law through appropriate industrial, regulatory and political channels.
What members should do now
This situation is complex, high‑risk and rapidly evolving. You should not be accepting Telstra, the JV or Infosys’ assurances on face value and certainly shouldn’t be making decisions without proper advice.
Members should contact their CWU State Branch Official immediately, for individual advice and representation, if directly impacted by:
- Redeployment
- Parental leave
- Visa sponsorship
- Infosys offers
- JV role changes
- Redundancy calculations
We will keep members informed as this important issue evolves. In the meantime, if you require any further information, please contact your State Branch Official for assistance.
