THE Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT), has announced that it will be laying off some 120 workers over the next 12 months as part of a restructuring programme for its operations.The telecommunications company said the changes are aimed at aligning GTT with the new environment in which it provides services. “GTT expects that about 120 positions would be made redundant over the next 12 months,” a statement by the company said, adding that the announcement coincides with the separation of the first six 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 announcement was anticipated by employees, who were briefed by the CEO in several staff meetings and interactions held over past months, about the need to right-size the company to remain viable,” GTT said.
According to the company in an internal memorandum to all employees on Wednesday, Chief Executive Officer 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.”
Talent Management is one of GTT’s top priorities for 2017 to ensure that the right employees are in the right roles, the release added. “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.”
GTT said too that 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 liberalisation of the telecommunications sector. “
Liberalisation 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. CEO Nedd added that “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.”