First job axe falls at Virgin Media

Over 100 jobs at Virgin Media are to be axed after the company announced plans to close its Gateshead telesales department.

The multimedia telecoms group announced the news this morning as the first step in the company’s plans to reduce its UK workforce by 2,200 within the next three years.

Staff at the Gateshead office have said that now is not the best time to be made redundant – just before Christmas – but added that they are relieved to know what will be happening.

The office will close in April 2009, and the Communications Workers Union has said it will be in talks with Virgin Media until then to explore every option open to the staff who will be losing their jobs.

Virgin Media is currently undergoing a complete restructure of all its operations, not least to bring together its constituent companies of Virgin Mobile, NTL, and Telewest into a more streamline entity.

The company has 76 offices across the UK, including bases in London, Edinburgh, Nottingham and Sheffield.

Story link: First job axe falls at Virgin Media