Regional jobs at risk as Ikea plans shake-up

SWEDISH furniture giant Ikea yesterday confirmed that more than 130 jobs were at risk in Yorkshire after it revealed plans to “amalgamate” its two British call centres.

The firm said that as part of the plan a contact centre in the Dearne Valley, near Rotherham, would be closed and operations moved to Peterborough, in Cambridgeshire.

Workers at the centre were told their jobs were at risk late on Tuesday and many reacted angrily when they heard the other centre would stay open.

One worker, who asked not to be named, said: “The way the management announced this was unprofessional as not all staff involved were part of the meeting.

“We were told we have jobs till March 2011 and other people have found out second hand. They are unable to answer any of our questions and will not relocate anyone from this contact centre.”

An Ikea spokesman last night blamed the decision on “changing customer expectations and an increasingly competitive market” and said both sites were presently “under-utilised”.