TUI staff ‘numb and upset’ over potential job losses
Staff at TUI’s Luton customer contact centre are reported to be in shock over a proposed relocation to Swansea, which is likely to trigger redundancies at the Wigmore House office.
A total of 60 members of staff are believed to have been told only about 10 days ago that the customer contact centre was to be included in plans to relocate jobs to Wales.
According to a report in the Luton News, they have been ‘encouraged to take redundancy’.
A former staff member told the newspaper that employees had been left feeling ‘panicky, numb, and upset’.
TUI confirmed that the proposals affect 60 full time employees. Of these, TUI is proposing to relocate 50 to Swansea, together with two posts which are currently vacant. The remaining eight employees will remain in Luton but with a change in reporting line, moving to report to retail operations.
A TUI spokeswoman said: “We are sorry to confirm that we are currently in a consultation period with members of our contact centre team based in Luton.
“The proposed changes are not a reflection of the great work they do to serve our customers. It is the result of research, consideration and discussion about the future of how TUI UK and Ireland communicates with customers.
“We have offered our colleagues affected by this consultation the option to relocate to Swansea to join our contact centre team based there. Alternatively we are working closely with the Luton-based team to identify other suitable opportunities within the business.”
She confirmed there are 50 full time employees at risk of redundancy in Luton out of 1,900 colleagues based at the TUI head office.
She said there are currently 281 advisor posts in Swansea and the company plans to increase this to 391. In addition to the 52 posts being transferred from Luton, a further 58 new posts are being created in the UK.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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