GTT begins sending home 120 workers

Last Updated on Wednesday, 15 February 2017, 16:15 by Denis Chabrol

The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) on Wednesday announced that it would be sending home 120 persons over the next 12 months as part of plans to adapt the company to liberalised telecommunications sector in the country.

The phone company said its announcement coincided with the separation of the first 6 employees under the restructuring programme. The six employees were drawn from multiple departments.

“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 company said in a statement.

The phone company said the announcement was anticipated by employees who were briefed by  GTT’s Chief Executive Officer, Justin Nedd, in several staff meetings and interactions held over past months, about the need to right size the company to remain viable.

In an internal memorandum to all employees Wednesday, CEO Justin 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.”

The voice and data provider said Talent Management is one of GTT’s top priorities for 2017 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 telecoms provider said.

GTT also identified Customer Care is the other top priority for GTT in 2017. Through restructuring GTT expects to be able to meet and then exceed customers’ expectations.

The last of the 2017 priorities for GTT is completing negotiations with the Government of Guyana on a mutually beneficial agreement in the context of the liberalization of the telecommunications sector, said the company.

“Liberalization will, for the first time in a long time, allow GTT the opportunity to operate on a playing field that is level. This means that for the first time it is likely that competitors in the same sector pay the same taxes and fees as GTT has over the last 26 years,” GTT added.

CEO Nedd was quoted in the GTT statement as saying that “At the end, we will come out stronger as we shift from a technical centric organization to an organization that is focused on satisfying the customers’ needs and, eventually, consistently delighting our customers.”