120 jobs threatened in Co-operative Travel call centre closure
Around 120 staff will be affected by Co-operative Travel closing its Stockport worldwide flight sales call centre.
A number will be relocated to call centres in Manchester and Rotherham, which concentrate on general holiday and travel sales.
“Efforts will be made to find suitable alternative employment for the remainder, either within The Co-operative Travel’s retail network or homeworking operations or in other Co-operative Group businesses,” a company statement said.
The business has entered a 30 day consultation period with trade unions and staff.
A spokesman said the decision to close the call centre at Kingsgate House had been taken “with regret”, but was necessary as the business adapted to the fast-changing UK travel market.
Customers are increasingly booking flights directly online with the growing number of budget airlines and The Co-operative Travel is therefore focusing its strategy on meeting this demand, the company said.
Co-operative Travel will also continue to operate a specialist cruise call centre in Barrow, Cumbria.
Managing director Mike Greenacre said: “In the light of the fast changing flights market, we must align our strategy to the demands of our customers.
“The current trading climate in this market is such that, regrettably, we have taken the decision to close our Stockport office.
“We must ensure that the Co-operative Travel continues to thrive in all the market sectors we trade in for the long term.”
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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