The Hindu Business Line : Australian union upset over Telstra HR job shifts

AUSTRALIA's Community and Public Sector Union is up in arms against that country's largest telecom firm Telstra's proposed shift of human resource and payroll systems offshore where India could be a prime destination.

The Australian Financial Review recently reported that Telstra was renegotiating a contract for its human resources and payroll systems currently held by global consulting group Deloitte, which has substantial information technology operations in India.

Deloitte currently services a $300 million five-year IT outsourcing contract to Telstra. Close to 800 Telstra jobs related to IT may have moved to India in the recent past.

"Any decision to shift Telstra human resource and payroll applications overseas would have serious privacy implications for employees," the union warned in a letter to Telstra.

"In particular, Telstra staff have raised concerns about sensitive personal data including pay, sick leave and medical records, finances, performance records, attendance, retirement and home addresses being handled by companies outside Australia," the union added.

The CPSU "has major concerns about Telstra's role in yet another round of Australian IT job losses to overseas outsourcers," the union said.