Telstra Corporation's decision on Wednesday to shut down its Moe call centre will render 114 workers out of job, leaving Latrobe Valley executives in doubt whether the soon-to-be separated employees will find replacement works within Telstra, as pledged by the telco yesterday.

Telstra said yesterday that more than a hundred staff would be axed once the call centre folds down on April 13 but the company had promised that the affected workers would be offered alternative work slots, retraining courses and retrenchment packages.

However, the Latrobe City Council is not taking in Telstra's words as its chief executive, Paul Buckley, told ABC on Thursday that job positions are currently tight in the area and the company may find it "very difficult to try and replace 114 jobs particularly when it comes as a shock announcement."

Buckley recalled that that Moe call centre was established in 2001 through vigorous efforts by the city council, which even extended benefits to Telstra for the centre to be realised yet he is now pessimistic if the company's decision would be reversed oppositions raised by the move.

Still, union leaders are not backing down from their fifth to keep the Moe call centre open and labour organiser Steve Abboushi has insisted that once enough community support has been mustered, Telstra would be compelled to take back its initial call.

Abboushi said that support campaigns would be launched on Thursday and "we're going to approach businesses and local government and try and rally some support."

Also, the area's Liberal representative, Russell Broadbent, has pledged to look for ways to preserve the call centre including lodging an appeal before Regional Development Minister Simon Crean.

Nonetheless, Broadbent reminded the Latrobe Valley community that his actions would be limited since the decision was made by a private company, expressing doubt too that the planned community campaign by union workers would prod Telstra to nix its corporate move.