Telia set out plans to axe 240 jobs from its business in Norway, as part of an organisational restructure following its merger with TDC in the country.

In a statement, Telia Norway said the cuts represent a 10 per cent cull in its total workforce, with a significant number of the reductions to come by not replacing staff who leave of their own volition.

Telia finalised a NOK21 billion ($2.4 billion) acquisition of TDC Norway in October 2018, to beef up its multi-play position in the country.

The company has faced difficulties in Norway, Finland and Sweden in recent times, warning the three markets will remain under pressure in the first half of the year.

Overlapping functions
Abraham Foss, CEO of Telia Norway, acknowledged the struggles, stating it was “under considerable pressure on both top line and bottom line”.

“Our industry is characterised by rapid changes in all areas, both in the operator landscape nationally and globally, and in terms of competitive situation, technology and customer behaviour. Our top priority will always be to build a more competitive and stronger Telia Norway,” he said.

Foss went on to state the reduction in staff was only “partially explained by overlapping functions as a consequence of the merger”, before adding there was a long-term perspective to ensure a more efficient operation.