Capita “callously” cuts TV Licensing jobs
10th January 2012
Outsource company Capita is closing its TV Licensing
operations in Bristol and cutting hundreds of jobs across the UK in
an act which the Communication Workers Union has branded
"callous". Compulsory redundancies are expected to hit
Bristol particularly heavily.
Almost 400 staff in Bristol are affected by the plans which will see approximately 200 posts transferred to the company's site in Darwen, Lancashire, with up to 80 specialist jobs retained at a separate site in Bristol. Five jobs will be lost from the site in Glasgow and over 40 management jobs from field operations will also be lost. Some work will go to Mumbai in India. Compulsory redundancies are expected in Bristol, where the majority of jobs are based, as well as Glasgow.
The decision follows Capita's successful retention of the
BBC TV Licence contract which was won offering reduced costs. Staff
are being briefed from 1pm today (Tuesday) by management and jobs
are expected to be lost by September 2012.
Andy Furey, CWU national official, said:
"This is devastating news for workers in Bristol, Glasgow and
elsewhere and a terrible way to start 2012. It's a callous act
by Capita management who have put commercial interests ahead of
jobs and people.
"It appears that Capita has sacrificed the livelihoods of
people in Bristol, Glasgow and elsewhere as cost savings to win the
BBC TV Licence
contract, rather than finding legitimate savings
elsewhere. Hot on the heels of the move to Salford, the BBC licence
fee freeze agreed by Mark Thompson is now responsible for job
losses outside of the Corporation. This is the reality of that
decision - unemployment. It's irresponsible and unfair.
"Capita management seem to be punishing staff in Bristol
and Glasgow who have fought hard for a decent pay rise in recent
months. By cutting these jobs they lose experienced and dedicated
staff which can't be good for business continuity.
"We will be working closely with our members over the coming weeks to see how jobs can be protected and what options are open to them. We're completely shocked by Capita's callous attitude towards long-standing employees and see this as a direct attack on union rights. We will work hard to ensure union representation is retained in this giant company."
Helen Goodman, the Shadow Minister for Media has criticised the announcement and has urged Government Minister Ed Vaizey to intervene.
Ms Goodman, who spoke out just hours after the shock decision was made, said: "I am very saddened to see that Capita has drawn up plans to make 350 posts redundant in Bristol. The TV licensing authority does a good job of safeguarding the BBC's funding for viewers and licence fee payers. I hope that this situation can be resolved without the need for redundancies and job losses. I feel it is very important for companies to bear in mind the responsibility to their workers and not just to their profit.
I am calling on Ed Vaizey to intervene to resolve this situation."
