East Lancashire BT jobs plan revealed

Hyndburn MP Sarah Smith and the council’s Labour group have backed a union proposal for the staff of the East Lancashire BT offices scheduled for closure in the Blackburn telephone exchange.

Last month the telecoms giant confirmed that the call hubs at both the Telephone Exchange in Jubilee Street in Blackburn and Globe Centre in Accrington would close with the 700 staff affected being offered jobs in Warrington or redundancy.

The shock announcement angered local politicians and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) which described it as ‘a devastating blow to our members and their families’.

It said the offer to relocate to Warrington was not a genuine alternative and has now come up with a counter proposal to combine the offices in unused space in Blackburn telephone exchange.

On Tuesday, Labour backbencher Mrs Smith and the borough’s ruling Labour group have backed that proposal.

In a joint statement they said: “Following discussions with the CWU which represents the employees who will be impacted, we stand alongside these workers to fight these proposals.

“This news has come as a profound shock to a loyal and highly skilled workforce who, only a few years ago, were given assurances about the long-term future of these sites.

“The suggestion that staff should relocate to Warrington is simply not realistic for most, given the distance, cost, and time involved in a daily commute of up to three hours.

“Beyond the immediate impact on workers, this decision risks causing significant harm to our local economy.

“We recognise that businesses must adapt and manage costs.

“However, we strongly believe there is a viable and constructive alternative.

“Representatives of the CWU have developed a detailed counter-proposal which we urge BT Group to consider.

“While we would like to see the Accrington office remain open what is most important is to keep these jobs local.

“The counter proposal would see staff relocated to the Blackburn Telephone Exchange—an existing BT-owned site with unused capacity.

“This approach would minimise disruption for staff, avoid unnecessary redundancy and retraining costs, and maintain a strong operational presence in East Lancashire.

“We are therefore urging BT to pause these proposals and engage meaningfully with the CWU to explore this alternative.”

A BT Group spokesperson has said the closures were ‘part of BT’s ongoing strategy to optimise its office estate and unlock value as part of our modernisation programme’.

A BT Group spokesperson said: “We recognise the concerns raised regarding our proposals for our Blackburn and Accrington centres and we take these seriously. For impacted colleagues, we are committed to offering a variety of support, including redeployment opportunities, flexible options where possible, and enhanced redundancy terms for those who choose not to move.

‘’BT has been modernising and optimising our estate to ensure our workplaces are fit for the future and provide the best possible environments for our people. We are engaging with employees, unions, local representatives and MPs and we will carefully consider all feedback and alternatives raised as part of the consultation process”.