It's not yet known what impact impending job cuts at Manitoba Hydro will have on staff at the Portage la Prairie and Neepawa service centres.

The crown corporation recently announced plans to trim its workforce by 15 per cent, or about 900 jobs. Manitoba Hydro Manager of Public Affairs Scott Powell says they have about 1,000 staff eligible for retirement and the hope is to achieve a large percentage of required reductions through retirements.

"We're rolling out a voluntary departure program which will provide additional incentive for staff eligible to retire," Powell says. "Until we see the uptake from that program, it's really too early to say where we might be seeing reductions throughout our workforce."

The Manitoba Hydro customer service centre in Portage la Prairie employs 39 people. Neepawa's centre has 37 employees.