Firstsource: Call centre redundancy risk 'came out of the blue'

A union that represents some staff at the call centre firm Firstsource has said the potential loss of hundreds of jobs in Londonderry and Belfast has shocked the workforce.

The company said on Thursday it had "commenced a redundancy consultation process".

Up to 500 jobs could be at risk across Northern Ireland.

The announcement "came totally out of the blue," Erin Massey of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) said.

"They received the information on a group work base call. They were sent home to deal with the reality of what had happened, what had been thrown at them, which is horrible," she said.

Firstsource said the redundancy process was due to the "changing priorities" of one of its clients, the entertainment giant Sky. The company has declined to confirm the exact number of redundancies.

A Sky spokesperson said it is currently "reviewing how we work with our supplier First Source and how our requirements of work are fulfilled".

"We are unable to comment further whilst we go through this process," they added.

DUP MLA Gary Middleton said there were a number of options on the table

On Thursday, after meeting with Firstsource management, Foyle DUP MLA Gary Middleton said 200 employees in Derry, 100 in Belfast, and a further 200 remote workers are affected.

Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle's The North West Today on Friday, Mr Middleton said there were a "number of options on the table" as Firstsource tried to mitigate the potential for wholesale job losses.

"There are bids going in I am told with new companies to try and get further jobs and to ensure those jobs which are under threat are safeguarded," he said.

'Cost of living emergency'

Derry's mayor Sandra Duffy said staff must be a priority.

She said Thursday's announcement created uncertainty for workers and their families and will have a knock-on effect across the region.

"Firstsource is a big employer in this city, we would hate to see any job losses," she said.

"We are in a cost of living emergency here and if people are going to lose their jobs, what impact will that then have on their lives?"

The company has a workforce at its Derry site of just under 600.

The potential job losses at Firstsource is the second major job blow for the city in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, US data storage manufacturer Seagate announced a global restructuring plan affecting 116 people out of a total workforce of about 1,600.