Enniskillen: Conor Murphy warns BT of 'reputational damage' over job cuts

Conor Murphy has written to BT

BT has been warned it will suffer "reputational damage" if it decides to cut 300 jobs in County Fermanagh.

The warning came in a letter to the company from Stormont's Economy Minister Conor Murphy.

Earlier in February, staff at the Enniskillen call centre were told it might close and that a voluntary redundancy scheme was being opened.

Mr Murphy also said closing the centre would be "completely contrary" to his aims for regional economic balance.

BT said a final decision had not been made but its Enniskillen building would require significant improvements to make it fit for purpose.

The company is pursuing a wider policy of consolidating its UK offices with an aim of operating from just 30 large sites.

As part of this, the company's Northern Ireland headquarters, in Belfast, recently reopened after a multi-million-pound upgrade.

About 300 people are employed at the Enniskillen site providing support to EE mobile customers

Mr Murphy described BT as being a well-respected brand and said it had an excellent relationship his department.

He also noted that between 2017 and 2020, Invest NI offered the company almost £9m in grant support for two projects in NI.

He added: "Should these job losses materialise it would be completely contrary to my economic vision and particularly to the objective of regional balance.

"It would also damage the reputation of BT."

Earlier in February, BT told the BBC it was reviewing its contact centre in Enniskillen and had offered staff the opportunity to take a voluntary paid leavers package, but that no final decision had been made.