Over 600 jobs at at risk after BT Group confirmed plans to close its Liverpool office.
The telecommunications firm announced on Friday (July 10) that its city centre base on Old Hall Street will be wound up following a ‘strategic review’ into its operations.
Staff were informed of the decision on June 30 with a consultation process due to start on July 20 that could see some relocated to BT’s Manchester and Leeds offices.
However the company have acknowledged that this option will not be viable for all members of its workforce, leading to the prospect of discretionary redundancies.
The move will impact the 601 employees working at The Plaza building across BT Business, Openreach workers and government-outsourced 999 call handlers.
A BT Group spokesperson said: “BT has been modernising and optimising our estate to ensure our workplaces are fit for the future and provide the best possible environments for our people.
“As part of this strategy, we are proposing to close our office at the Plaza in Liverpool.
“We are working closely with impacted colleagues, with some proposed to move to other locations. We will continue to support all our colleagues throughout this change.”
Liverpool Riverside MP Kim Johnson branded the proposal ‘simply unacceptable’ and warned of the potential damage the changes will cause to BT’s local staff.
“This is another example of the damage caused when decisions are driven by corporate cost-cutting rather than people and communities,” she told the Liverpool Echo.
“Our city is one of the UK’s fastest-growing digital economies, with outstanding transport links, a highly skilled workforce and world-class universities.
“Liverpool has everything a major employer needs. BT must recognise that, and show the same commitment to Liverpool and its workforce that its employees have shown to the company.”