Jobs switch
‘no threat
to staff’
says mobile
company

Nearly 1,200 people working at the O2 site at the Arlington Business Centre on Millshaw Park near the White Rose Centre in Leeds were told yesterday their jobs will transfer to Capita.

They are among about 3,700 workers at four sites across England and Scotland who will now work for Capita. O2 said the arrangement followed a major drop in the number of customers contacting the company by telephone.

The Commercial Workers Union (CWU) claimed Telefonica – O2’s parent company – had admitted it was looking to make up to 600 people redundant across the entire workforce.

Deputy general secretary Andy Kerr said: “People are being dispensed with in a cold accountancy exercise designed to save money. This is a betrayal of the staff who have built this company and made it successful.

“We’re gravely concerned about the future of these jobs as how will savings be made if not through attacks on jobs and terms and conditions?”

O2 denied the claims. A spokesman said he had no idea where the CWU had got its figures – and insisted jobs were safe.

He added: “We can confirm that there will be no compulsory redundancies as part of this deal.

“This deal means Capita will take responsibility for all outsourced activity and 3,700 of our people will transfer to Capita, including 1,183 at our Leeds site. Their transfer will see no change to where they work. Their terms and conditions will be protected.

“The deal also offers them a guarantee of job security for two years, something we alone as Telefonica UK could never offer.”