GTT restructuring
Some 120 employees attached to Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT) will be laid off over the coming months as the company announces a restructuring of its operations.
In a statement to the media on Wednesday, the local telecommunications giant explained that the restructuring is aimed at aligning the company with the new environment in which it provides services. A move which, it added, will see about 120 positions be made redundant over the next 12 months.
This announcement coincides with the separation of the first six employees under the restructuring programme, whom were chosen from multiple departments within the company. Nevertheless, GTT assures that these employees will receive the necessary benefits they are entitled to.
“All employees affected by the restructuring are receiving their full benefits and severance. In addition, the company is providing opportunities for these employees to receive training to prepare them for their new endeavours,” the statement outlines.
Moreover, according to GTT, these employees were already briefed by Chief Executive Officer, Justin Nedd, during several staff meetings about the “need to right size the company in order to remain viable.”
In fact, in an internal memorandum to all employees on Wednesday, Nedd said, “We are on the verge of really creating a company that is built for the future and we must position ourselves to ensure that everyone understands his or her role and is driven in the same direction.”
Moreover, the public missive further outlined that among GTT’s top priorities for 2017 includes talent management in order to ensure that the right employees are in the right roles.
“Through improving talent management, GTT expects to provide more training for employees, better tools and the leadership that would lead to improved productivity. The goal of talent management is to enable GTT to delight its customers and to grow revenue,” the statement details.
Customer care was also named as one of the company’s top priorities this year and through restructuring, GTT says it expects to be able to meet and exceed customers’ expectations.
Additionally, the company also prioritised the completion of negotiations with Government with the aim of arriving at a “mutually beneficial” agreement as it relates to the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector.
For the first time in 20 plus years, GTT says liberalisation of the telecoms sector creates the opportunity for the company to operate on a level playing field. In this regard, the company outlined that it is likely that competitors in the same sector pay the same taxes and fees as GTT has over the last 26 years.
According to Nedd, “At the end, we will come out stronger as we shift from a technical centric organisation to an organisation that is focused on satisfying the customers’ needs and, eventually, consistently delighting our customers.”
