By Craig Smith

UNCERTAINTY SURROUNDS the future of 125 call centre posts in Fife despite a cable company’s assurance there would be no “immediate impact” on its Scottish workforce.

Staff at NTL’s offices in Glenrothes arrived for work yesterday morning fearing the worst after it was reported that 6000 workers were to be axed across the UK.

Although management confirmed cuts will be made, operators at the Bankhead offices were told it would be business as usual in Fife as the majority of posts will go south of the border.

The decision to axe more than a third of its 17,000 staff came following NTL’s recent merger with rival Telewest, with the move likely to involve up to 1000 compulsory redundancies.

As part of the cost-cutting process, NTL also revealed a number of jobs will be transferred under outsourcing agreements, including 1500 to IBM.

While jobs in Fife remain secure for the time being, Central Fife MSP Christine May, however, called for some sort of clarity on NTL’s plans for the future.

“We need the company to make it absolutely clear to staff what their intentions are and I will be writing to NTL to ask them that,” she said.

Neil Berkett, chief operating officer at NTL:Telewest, said, “Since we announced the merger with Telewest, we have consistently said that headcount reductions are likely.

“We cannot avoid taking difficult decisions if it means a better experience for our customers in the long term.

“We recognise that today’s announcement will mean uncertainty for some employees and the communities they live in.

“We will be working hard to ensure minimal compulsory redundancies wherever we can.

“We will continue to communicate as honestly and openly as possible with our employees throughout the process and provide whatever support and advice is needed.”

NTL announced its intention to make £250 million of cost savings after the £3.4 billion merger with Telewest increased its workforce to around 17,000.

In addition to the Glenrothes staff, the firm employs around 900 people at its centre in Bellshill which will also be unaffected at this time.

While the long-term future of the call centre posts remains in doubt, Mrs May added that all of the workers will be given the full support of a number of agencies.

“I know that Fife Council and Scottish Enterprise are following events very closely and there are also a number of public agencies which will offer support,” she said.

“The customer support sector is a buoyant and thriving sector in Fife and there are a number of companies in Fife who continue to win contracts and expand.”

SNP Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Tricia Marwick said, “It’s a relief that Scotland has appeared to have escaped the job losses and it is important that the jobs in Glenrothes are protected.

“However, there is no guarantee that the jobs are safe and I hope Scottish Enterprise Fife will do all it can to avoid jobs being cut.”

The 6000 staff which will be cut or transferred to IBM will do so before the end of 2007, with 80% of that figure expected to leave in the next 12 months.

Most of the jobs affected will be at the company’s bases in Liverpool, Swansea and Teesside.

As expected, a number of national unions have criticised NTL’s handling of the situation in light of yesterday’s announcement.

Amicus national officer Peter Skyte said, “This is a devastating blow for thousands of employees across the whole country.

“There is no corporate social responsibility in this announcement and it is difficult to fathom how cutting so many UK jobs will be good for NTL’s customers.”

Gerry Morrissey, assistant general secretary of Bectu, said his union will now press for a campaign to highlight the number of jobs being outsourced to India.

“Firms which are doing this don’t deserve the support of the British public,” he added.

Mid-Scotland and Fife Conservative MSP Ted Brocklebank said he was “relieved” that no jobs were being cut in Glenrothes.

He added, “With the massive loss of jobs at Lexmark in Dunfermline recently, Fife could ill afford a new blow.

“However, while it appears Glenrothes’ luck is another town’s misfortune this time, the economics of the service industry mean we must be on our guard in the future and NTL have only said there would be no ‘immediate’ changes to the Scottish workforce.

“We must keep the pressure on the Labour/Liberal Democrat Executive to develop a more business-friendly economic climate in Scotland—a first step being for them to lower business rates to levels south of the border.”