Spark says cull of 400 staff won't affect service
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Spark [NZX: SPK] says a cull of around 400 staff will not affect service.
The company's annual report reveals it had 4792 staff as at June 30, 2015, 380 down from a year ago (and nowhere near the 7500 employed before the Chorus spin-off).
Since chief executive Simon Moutter began a (now complete) restructure in 2013, Spark has reduced its head count by 1595.
Corporate relations GM Andrew Pirie says "our accounts make it clear the staff reductions over the past year have come from rationalisation in the Spark Digital and Spark Connect units. This principally relates to people working in 'back end' technology related roles. Staff numbers in the home mobile and business segments – which is where our call centre and retail store staff sit – have remained essentially unchanged.
Spark Digital – formerly Gen-i – sells IT services and like others in the field its staff numbers ebb and flow as it wins or loses major contracts. Spark Connect sells wholesale telecommunications services to big clients.
The annual report also shows the number of Spark employees on salaries of more than $100,000 a year fell by 113 to 1660 over the year to June.
Mr Moutter's total remuneration for the year was $3.9 million, including an $825,000 short-term incentive bonus for meeting turnaround and cost-cutting targets.
Mr Moutter has pitched the restructure in terms of new technology and a move to self-service requiring less man power, and a need to match Vodafone’s and 2degrees' staff levels.
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Chris Keall
Thu, 27 Aug 2015
Thu, 27 Aug 2015
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Spark says cull of 400 staff won't affect service
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