Pakistan’s newly merged telecom operator e& is expected to cut hundreds of jobs as it moves to eliminate overlapping roles following the integration of Telenor Pakistan and Ufone, reported Business Recorder.
The workforce review has already begun and is likely to be completed in the coming weeks after the legal completion of the merger, the people said. The restructuring is expected to affect multiple departments, including sales, marketing, finance, human resources, technology, customer service and administration.
The combined company is reviewing duplicate positions created by the merger, the people said, adding that the total workforce could be reduced by about 300 to 500 employees. That would bring staffing closer to the level of Jazz, Pakistan’s largest mobile operator, which employs about 1,100 people.
Before the merger, Telenor Pakistan had around 800 employees, while roughly 300 Ufone staff have already been moved to the merged company’s headquarters. More transfers are expected as integration continues.
Unlike earlier telecom consolidations in Pakistan, employees affected by the restructuring are not expected to receive large voluntary separation packages, the people said. Compensation under discussion is limited to a few months’ salary, they said, compared with the more generous payouts seen in previous industry mergers.
The restructuring is already affecting staff morale, with uncertainty growing across the company as employees await decisions on retained roles. In one recent case, a senior sales executive resigned after losing out on a position in the merged organization following an internal assessment and interview process, according to the people.
The merger of Telenor Pakistan and Ufone has created the country’s largest telecom consolidation to date, giving e& a broader customer base and network footprint in a highly competitive market. The integration is aimed at cutting costs, streamlining operations and improving efficiency as operators face pressure on margins and rising investment needs
