"I was going to work to a meeting — they'd called a meeting for 9 o'clock to tell us about the job cuts, but I'd heard it on the radio before I got there," he said, recalling the day last June. Mr Peterson, from Newcastle, NSW, was one of approximately 9,500 Telstra employees whose jobs hung in the balance, with the telco announcing a net reduction of 8,000 positions, with 1,500 new roles created.