Outsourcer Convergys tells workers to get on their bikes – and ride 300 miles

Hundreds of Tyneside call centre jobs are facing the axe after a major contract was lost. Up to 300 staff working for Convergys were told the shock news that redundancies would be made.

Workers have been told they can keep their jobs, but would have to move more than 300 miles to an office in Wales! The staff work for the US firm at Quorum Business Park, Longbenton, North Tyneside, taking inbound Post Office calls.

The contract had been outsourced to BT, which outsourced it to the company Logica, which then gave the work to Convergys. A spokeswoman for Logica, which does outsourcing and consultancy work, said today the decision had come because the company was “re-aligning” its business.

A small number of staff at the Convergys call centre in Edinburgh are also under threat.
 
A 90-day consultation period will start today and staff will be offered jobs in the Logica Bridgend office in Wales, where the contract will be moving to in six months.

One worker, a 35-year-old dad, said: “We are all devastated - this came completely out of the blue. “On Monday we were all taken into a meeting with the boss and told we were going to be made redundant or we could move to Bridgend.

“For 95% of us it’s not possible to move all that way because we have families and commitments in the North East. So really we are all losing our jobs with little alternative.”

Another worker said: “We were told if we want to keep our jobs we would have to move to Wales. I need to work so would have to consider this if I can’t get another job. We were stunned when we were told the news – it’s a slap in the face. The staff at the centre are a real dedicated team, it’s a shame we are going to be broken up.”

A Communication Workers Union spokesman said: “This is terrible news for staff at Convergys in Newcastle. The employment situation in the North East looks uncertain anyway because of government spending cuts, so losing these call centre jobs will exacerbate the unemployment situation locally. We’re encouraging any staff at Convergys to contact us for advice on what their options are at this difficult time.”

A spokeswoman for Convergys said the staff would become employees of Logica after six months. A spokeswoman for Logica said: “We are exiting the contract with Convergys and are responsible for the well-being of the staff. Some jobs will be put at risk