Telstra is secretly planning to stop universal delivery of metropolitan White Pages telephone directories from this year, the AMWU revealed today.

The union represents workers at PMP Chullora, a specialised telephone directory printing plant in Western Sydney.

Printing metropolitan Telstra White Pages is normally a significant part of PMP’s workload in the first half of the year.

However this year, workers at the site have revealed that Telstra’s order of 2011/2012 White Pages directories for Melbourne has been cut by 90% - from nearly 1.4 million to 165,000. It is highly unusual that print orders for the other state capitals have not yet been received.

Telstra should come clean about its plans for White Pages delivery this year for the sake of the public and for the sake of the 130 specialist print workers whose jobs are now at risk, said AMWU NSW Secretary Tim Ayres.

“We understand that communications technology is changing – but Telstra should engage in genuine community debate on this issue for the sake of the public and for workers across the White Pages manufacturing supply chain who fear for their future," said Mr Ayres.

"The print orders show that Telstra has either made a unilateral decision to stop delivering White Pages directories from this year, or it is collaborating with the Federal Government to change laws requiring Telstra to deliver a printed directory to every residence with a landline."

On behalf of its members, the AMWU has approached both Sensis (Telstra's wholly owned directories arm) and Communications Minister Stephen Conroy seeking certainty about the future of printing and delivery of White Pages directories, but have received no information about Telstra’s plans.

"Our members have noted there is no reduction in printing volumes of Yellow Pages directories, which link advertising revenue to distribution. If they are going to cut costs by stopping printing and distribution of White Pages, Telstra should at the very least be honest about its intentions."