Ikea call centre jobs at risk in South Yorkshire

More than 100 jobs are at risk at an Ikea call centre in South Yorkshire.

The firm said it was looking to amalgamate the site with another call centre in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire.

The call centre in the Dearne Valley area of South Yorkshire handles customer queries and complaints and also supports the store's online channel.

The proposal affects 138 workers and is subject to a 90-day consultation.

The company said both sites were "under-utilised in terms of seating capacity".

It said: "The fact that we operate in two sites comes with some significant drawbacks in terms of cost, consistency, productivity, duplication [and] impact on the shared resources."

It added that, after a review, the company wanted its Peterborough base to handle all customer contacts and to close the rented Dearne Valley centre on 23 March.

'Motivation gone'

Cordelia Wild, a customer service adviser at the Dearne Valley Ikea site, said the staff were taken into a meeting and given a powerpoint presentation about the proposals.

She said: "They told us why they couldn't renew the lease on the site anymore and that they had explored all options.

"Basically they said they are not looking for another building they are moving all our jobs to Peterborough, which obviously doesn't include the staff, just the jobs."

"We've been given plenty of notice, I'll give them that, but the motivation has just gone, completely."