AAPT cuts IT jobs

Telecom New Zealand subsidiary AAPT, confirmed that it is conducting a reshuffle within its information technology project management division today, but denied the department was tightening its budget.

A spokesperson for AAPT said the workers affected by the exercise were non-permanent staff whose contracts were soon due for renewal.

"No permanent staff are being made redundant, so there are no redundancies involved," said the spokesperson.

Rather than renewing the contracts, AAPT said it would offer "the majority" of the workers permanent positions but at this stage, it was unclear how many would accept the company's olive branch.

However, it conceded that salary levels for fulltime staff would be lower compared with contractors. "AAPT pays the market rate so it will be in line with what the market is paying for the work that they're doing. They don't get paid at the level that people on short-term contracts get paid," the spokesperson said.

AAPT emphasised that the move did not indicate that the company was slowing down its operations.

"Our [operating expenditure] and [capital expenditure] is higher than what it was last year so in no way are we cooling things down," the spokesperson added.

The telecommunications provider said it currently had no plans to make additional staff cuts in the division.