MEDIA RELEASE

July 8, 2009

Contracting Model Catching On

The first round of focus group meetings between Chorus’s newly-appointed Auckland and Northland field services contractor, Visionstream, and technicians employed by the two companies currently carrying out the work, had been a solid success, Visionstream said today.

Visionstream’s New Zealand Manager, Andrew Stevens, said interest in the company’s plans was high, and over the past couple of weeks Visionstream had received a steady stream of inquiries from workers keen to find out more about its owner operator model.

“Over the past week and a half or so, we’ve travelled round the region, meeting the current workforce and telling them a bit about who Visionstream is and what we are about, but today was the first opportunity for a more detailed conversation,” Mr Stevens said.

Mr Stevens said a lot of misinformation had been circulated following Visionstream’s appointment, and it was good to be able to put the record straight.

“Many of the people we spoke to today were surprised to learn just how simple and inexpensive it could be for them to take the skills they have developed and turn those into a successful business.”

Mr Stevens said the company offered workers considerable support in getting established as owner operators. Visionstream place the greatest importance on a highly engaged and valued workforce.”

“We provide people wanting to work with us all the assistance they need. That might be financial assistance, via set-up cash grants and lease-type deals for tools and other equipment, or it might be giving them training in the administration and other skills needed to run a business, or a range of other support initiatives.”

Mr Stevens said Visionstream, like the other field services organisations in operation in their home market, had had a lot of experience in successfully introducing and assisting field staff to the owner operator model. The model has been highly successful for both workers and customers in recent years.

“The bottom line is that we need the skills and experience of these workers, in order to sustain operations, so we need to design a package that works for them.

“That means making the financial costs of working with Visionstream as low as possible, and giving those wanting to take up this opportunity the support they need. This includes access to specialist small-business mentors, opportunities to get discounts on services and equipment, fleet-lease deals, and access to specialist equipment owned by the company.

“This is not a scheme designed to marginalise the workforce, it’s a tried and true way of working that allows us to deliver excellent service to consumers, and it gives workers more control and flexibility over the way they work and opportunities to succeed in their own right.”

ends

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