Call centre closure threatens 300 jobs (From Worcester News)

300 staff set to lose their jobs at Shop Direct call centre in Newtown Road, Worcester

5:08pm Thursday 7th March 2013 in News By Elizabeth Sweetman, @lizsweetmanWN #worcsnews

JOB LOSSES: Worcester MP Robin Walker said the news is disappointing.

UP TO 300 people are set to lose their jobs under plans to close a Worcester call centre.

Serco, which runs the Shop Direct call centre in Newtown Road, Worcester, yesterday confirmed that it has has entered a formal consultation with staff concerning the proposed closure of the site.

The news follows a review of customer contact operations which found that call volumes in contact centres have decreased by 55 per cent in the past five years.

As we reported in your Worcester News in May last year, Serco announced plans to reduce the number of Shop Direct’s UK call centres from four to two and invest in new technology which will require fewer people to handle calls as well as transfer some operations abroad.

But Serco said the number of employees affected by the proposal could hopefully decrease depending on the number of alternative roles available at other Serco sites.

Serco contract director Mark Pacey said: “We are committed to doing everything we can to support colleagues during this difficult time, wherever possible by helping to find alternative employment elsewhere within Serco.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to extend my thanks to all my colleagues for their loyalty and professionalism over the past months as we have completed our review of the business.”

Worcester MP Robin Walker said: “It was announced last year and there’s been some time taken since then to look at it and I’ve been told about the news, which is very disappointing.

“It’s always terrible when something like this happens and it just shows how difficult things are. There is a 90-day consultation period taking place now, which is very important to mention and I will help where I can.”