PCCW chiefs will meet union leaders this afternoon after 4,000 workers signed a petition urging the company to clarify whether it is planning further staff cuts.
The move came two weeks after a message appeared on a PCCW staff union Web site, purporting to reveal details of a restructuring programme at the telecommunications giant which employs about 13,000 people.
The message claimed more than 500 staff in middle management would be sacked at the end of this month and about 6,000 workers would be offered job transfers which would lead to pay cuts because the firm planned to contract out most of its work.
PCCW Staff Association chairman Ip Ngok-fung said yesterday the company told him on Monday its chief operating officer, Michael Butcher, would meet him and leaders of two other PCCW unions this afternoon to discuss their concerns.
'Although the company has finally agreed to meet us after staying silent for a week, it needs to increase its transparency,' Mr Ip said. 'It should provide us with some background information so that we can prepare our views better.
'However, it is difficult to say what action we will take if the company fails to give us a satisfactory response. We will only consider our next move once we have heard what it wishes to say in the meeting.'
