Telecom Italia became the latest player in its home market to be linked with a workforce reduction, with Reuters reporting the operator was in discussions with unions over an early retirement scheme designed to cut up to 2,000.

The news website’s sources claimed the proposal was for a voluntary scheme and is part of a wider plan to “streamline” operations in its home market, where it reportedly employs 40,000 people.

Rumours on Telecom Italia’s plans come a week after Vodafone Italia held talks with unions over 1,000 job cuts in the country.

Continuous suffering
A press statement on Vodafone’s meeting jointly signed by four unions in the country and published by Slc Cgil claimed the operator had cited excessive competition and illustrated falling revenue across several years.

In their response to Vodafone the unions said: “The reduction in employment cannot always be the main lever to counteract the decline in revenues”.

“A broader and more comprehensive comparison of the telecommunications sector is needed, starting with the involvement of institutions to arrive at an industrial model that overcomes the condition of continuous suffering.”

Complaints around falling revenue and high levels of competition in Italy are nothing new, with operator groups regularly citing problems in results since the entry of disruptor Iliad Italia in 2018.

During MWC23 last month, Telecom Italia CEO Pietro Labriola called for regulatory changes across Europe to aid operators and provide relief from falling consumer prices, high levels of competition and a perceived unfair playing field with digital players.