Employees of the former Ethiopian Telecommunication Corporation have been called back by Ethio Telecom. Ethio Telecom is forming a new company ‘Hidasse’ Telecom Supportive Share Company’ which will offer employment to all laid off ETC employees at their previous salaries.

Former ETC employees who accept the employment with ‘Hidasse’ will not be considered as employees of Ethio Telecom.

The new company will be managed under a separate administration until such a time as the employees themselves are able to manage the share company on their own sources say.

The newly formed ‘Hidasse’ will provide services including bill collection and sales for Ethio Telecom products.

Approximately half of the former employees of ETC, predominantly those living outside of Addis Ababa have accepted the offer according to sources.

Ethio Telecom was formed when France Telecom/Orange took over the management and operations of ETC. The new administration undertook immediate re-organization that left many of the 13,000 strong staff of ETC unemployed.

In related news Ethio Telecom customers outside of Addis Ababa have expressed complaints about delays in the collection of bills. It is expected that the newly formed ‘Hidasse’ will alleviate problems in Ethio Telecom services.

Hidasse will take over duties such as bill collecting that Ethio Telecom has been outsourcing to the Ethiopian Postal Enterprise.  

Source: Capital