ISLAMABAD (MEDIA)
The Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) on Thursday offered a Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS) to its more than 50 percent employees, which will cost it around eight to 10 billion rupees.
“Of the total existing staff of 30,000, we are offering VSS to 16,000 employees,” Senior Executive Vice President Human Resource (HR) PTCL, Syed Mazhar Hussain, said addressing a press conference. The VSS offers an attractive package and aims to scale down the PTCL’s human resource cost and to bring it in line with international standards, he said.
Hussain, who was flanked by PTCL’s Senior Vice President Naveed Saeed, and other high-ups, said that the company plans to reduce its human resource cost to 10 percent of its revenue from the current 22 percent in line with the international standards and a level already obtained by other competitors.
The PTCL would offer VSS to 9,500 employees in the redundant categories, while 6,500 to the contractual employees, he said. The PTCL management expects to get applications of 6,000 to 7,000 under VSS, but it would not affect its operation, he added.
Throwing light on the eligibility criteria for VSS, he said that all regular staff in grade 17 and below as well as contractual employees especially in the low grades and non-technical staff in the age between 40 to 58 years or below as on July 26, 2012 will be offered this scheme. “The package for any employees getting VSS would not be less than Rs850,000 and in most cases it would cross one million.”
He said that the PTCL’s VSS in 2008 received 35,000 applications of which 30,000 employees were relieved out of a total 50,000. “It was the biggest VSS offered by anyone around the world in the telecom sector and it was implemented in the shortest span of time.”
He said that the contractual employees were not allowed to apply for VSS last time but now they would be offered this scheme. The PTCL did not lay off any employee after the last VSS and it would not be done after this scheme, he added.
“The VSS is a completely voluntary offer designed to ensure long-term welfare and well-being of our employees and their families,” said Hussain. “Employees have a choice to either opt for it or continue working at PTCL.”
Giving details of the new VSS scheme, Hussain said that the PTCL’s first 2008 VSS received a very positive response, which far exceeded expectations. Explaining the key features of the new VSS, Hussain informed that it was being offered to approximately 16,000 employees.
“We are offering yet another golden option to our employees to choose a rewarding future which may be a lifetime opportunity.”For raising awareness and consultation among employees, the PTCL has undertaken an efficient nationwide mechanism comprising information & special counselling sessions, promotional road-shows, and financial advisory consultations & services, he said.
Special helpline and help desks have also been set up with a toll-free number 0800-13531. “Our employees are the PTCL’s most important asset and our aim is to provide them maximum facilitation and guidance in deciding a bright future for themselves.”
To a query regarding the telecom scam of Rs48 billion on interconnecting charges for evading taxes, he said that the PTCL had nothing to do with this investigation done by the NAB and none of employees name was put on Exit Control List.