By Bruce Fegen

SCOTLAND’S CALL centre industry—still reeling after last week’s shock announcement that insurance giant Norwich Union was cutting 450 jobs across the country, 200 of them in Perth—was dealt another blow yesterday when ntl Telewest revealed it is to slash its workforce in Fife by two thirds.

A total of 62 jobs will go at the telecom company’s unit in Glenrothes by early next year, leaving just 31 workers at the Bankhead call centre. Efforts will be made to find the axed employees jobs elsewhere in the ntl Telewest organisation.

The move is part of a nationwide shake-up following the merger of ntl and Telewest earlier this year when it was announced that 6000 jobs could go across the UK, 1000 of them compulsory redundancies.

Yesterday, the firm said that proposals to reorganise its direct, telesales and back office administrative functions would result in 750 employees based in a number of sites leaving the business. It was stressed this is part of, not in addition to, the rationalisation programme announced in May.

A spokesman for ntl Telewest said that the announcement was part of the ongoing process of bringing the two companies together.

He added that the merged company was determined to improve the service it provided to customers and to do this they had had to look hard at how the business operates.

“Eliminating overlapping functions and streamlining them into fewer sites will ensure that we work more efficiently and provide a service which customers are proud to be associated with,” he said.

Vas Agridhiotis, ntl Telewest’s sales director, said, “We have always said that we would communicate the implications of our merger to employees and their communities as early and as transparently as possible and we are today honouring that commitment.

“Whether directly affected or not, we realise this is unsettling for employees, but we will do our utmost to redeploy as many affected employees as possible and keep compulsory redundancies to an absolute minimum.”

Last night Glenrothes MSP Christine May, who has been kept advised of the situation, described the announcement as a blow for the area.

She said, “It’s the start of a three-month consultation period. That gives us time and that’s appreciated.

“Losing jobs anywhere is a blow and what we now need to do is to look at what alternatives there are for the people affected. I understand the company is offering redeployment.

“I hope that we will get the PACE team in (a multi-agency task force that includes Scottish Enterprise Fife, the local authority and Job- centre). They help people find jobs, prepare CVs etc., and their record is superb.”

Mrs May added, “It is a blow, there’s no doubt about that, but in this instance I think there’s optimism as well. These are experienced people and it should be possible to find alternative employment for them.”