Vodafone will axe up to 100 jobs at its Hobart call centre in a move the Tasmanian Premier has described as "devastating".
The telco is holding talks with workers and has said it expects the number of roles impacted to be less than 100.
At a press conference this morning a shocked Premier Will Hodgman said it was a "terrible blow for the people concerned".
"I can imagine that they will be devastated, their families extremely concerned, so we will do what we can to ensure that we support those people," he said.
He said the Government was not aware it was going to happen and if funding agreements had been contravened the Government would ask for money to be returned.
"If we're able to secure and reclaim anything that we are entitled to as a result of agreements being broken, then we will do that," he said.
Vodafone has received both state and federal funding since setting up in Tasmania.
It has received payroll tax relief and a $3.2 million grant since promising to double its workforce.
In 2016, the Hobart call centre employed 850 people.
'We're calling for redundancies'
In a statement today, the company said there had been a "dramatic reduction" in call volumes and complaints, with customers preferring to to use online self-services.
Chief strategy officer Dan Lloyd said the company was calling for voluntary redundancies in the restructure.
"The restructure will not be confirmed until the consultation process is complete, however we expect the number of impacted roles to be less than 100," he said.
Mr Lloyd said the company had invested $200 million in the centre since 2013 and it no longer received any form of federal or state government funding for the Hobart centre.
A group of employees gathered at a nearby pub after being briefed by Vodafone management this morning.
They were visibly distressed and would not talk to media for fear of jeopardising their redundancy payments.
They have been told at this stage that their final day will be next Friday.
Denison independent MP Andrew Wilkie said it was a "bad decision and a deep betrayal of the local community in Hobart".
