The number of permanent employees at Telkom has dropped substantially in the past year, according to the group’s annual results for the year ended 31 March 2019.
Its results showed that Telkom Group employees declined from 17,472 to 15,296 in its latest financial year.
Telkom Group employees are made up of the company’s multiple divisions, including “Telkom Company” at 9,202 employees. This consists of the Consumer division, 1,105 employees, and Openserve, 8,097 employees.
“Corporate Centre” employees totalled 339, while BCX had a total of 5,782 employees.
The Yellow Pages group, 216 employees, and Gyro, 96 employees, complete Telkom Group’s staff complement.
Telkom noted in its results that 132 Gyro employees were transferred to BCX during the period.
Staff cuts
Telkom stated in its results that its focus areas remain transformation and talent development.
“The total permanent group workforce as at 31 March 2019 is 15,296 compared to 17,472 in FY2018. The decrease in permanent workforce was primarily due to VSP and VERPs offered and the section 189 process,” said Telkom.
“Our external recruitment points to Telkom’s strong resolve to hire in accordance with our transformation objective, and 84% of all external hires were black. Our top management black representation increased from 62% to 100%.”
Telkom’s latest staff cuts follow years of similar behaviour at the company.
In October 2018, we reported how Telkom staff numbers had declined from just over 67,000 in 1991 to 23,000 in 2010.
The downsizing trend has continued from 2010 onwards, and Telkom Company’s latest numbers have now dipped well below 10,000.
The trend coincides with Telkom’s loss of fixed-line customers, as users move away from telephone landlines and DSL broadband connections – taking up fibre from competing companies and mobile deals from the likes of Vodacom and MTN, and Telkom’s own mobile division.
