A group of Perth hotel workers faces a bleak Christmas after confirmation the staff are to lose their jobs in December.
The last 13 employees at the central reservations office at the Isle of Skye Hotel will be made redundant when their jobs are moved to Birmingham.
Nine of the original 24 office employees took early redundancy in the summer and another two will leave next week.
Fears were raised in July when Travelodge bought the Innkeeper’s Lodge brand, under which the Isle of Skye on Dundee Road operates.
Following a company consultation process and the loss of some of the jobs earlier in the summer, the office will close during the festive season.
Local councillor Alexander Stewart formerly an employee at the office himself said he was “devastated” by the news.
“The function of the call centre is being relocated to Mitchells and Butlers and there has been no incentive for staff to relocate elsewhere,” he said.Kept hanging”Mitchells and Butlers have kept staff hanging until now by telling them that there has been no decision made on the future of the Perth office and they have only now discovered that they will lose their jobs in time for Christmas.
“I am devastated for the staff who have remained loyal and done an excellent job for the company for many years and now feel cast aside as a result of this acquisition.”
The news comes despite a pledge by Travelodge following the takeover to “seek to retain all 430 staff from Mitchells and Butlers and… look to recruit a further 115 positions.”
Mr Stewart questioned whether the consultation process was effective.
He said, “The reality is that some staff who have been working in the reservations office at the Isle of Skye Hotel have already been made redundant and others will follow in December.
“The Innkeeper’s Lodge brand will continue in various locations across the United Kingdom.
“Staff at the location in Perth have awaited the decision of Mitchells and Butlers since July.
“Mitchells and Butlers have now decided to close the reservations office in Perth and transfer the work to Birmingham where additional jobs have already been advertised.
“The remaining jobs will disappear by mid-December.”Redundancy payA spokesman for Mitchells and Butlers said all staff had been offered above the statutory level of redundancy pay and one-to-one meetings had been held with workers.
He said, “Following the sale of a number of Innkeeper’s Lodge hotels to Travelodge earlier this year, we entered into a period of consultation with all staff in the existing reservations team.
“In September the decision was taken to close the department and a number of staff took redundancy at that time.
“The remaining staff will continue to work until December 10 when the central reservations department will close.
“We appreciate that this is a difficult time for everyone involved and will continue to assist with redeployment opportunities where possible.”
The call centre was set up in 1998 to handle booking for Scottish Innkeeper’s Lodges but grew into a nationwide centre.