MP urges BT to pause plan to relocate 700 workers

An MP has asked BT to pause its planned closure of two Lancashire offices in which nearly 700 workers are understood to be affected.

The independent MP for Blackburn, Adnan Hussain, has written to Business Secretary Peter Kyle to urge him to press BT to wait "pending proper consideration of local alternatives".

The Telephone Exchange on Jubilee Street in Blackburn and the Accrington contact centre will shut, with staff either moving to Warrington in Cheshire or facing redundancy.

A BT Group spokesperson said: "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."

Hussain wrote in his letter to Kyle: "There is a question of corporate transparency and broken commitments."

He added: "I have been informed by constituents that in 2022 BT Group gave staff clear assurances that Accrington would serve as a long term operational base."

Hussain said the current plan "completely contradicts those purported commitments - in any event workers deserve a transparent explanation".

The MP also wrote that he was "concerned over the adequacy of the consultation process" adding "employees have reported that this decision has come as a complete shock".

He said the business secretary should also see what support the government could offer affected workers.

Hussain added: "The loss of hundreds of jobs would be a significant setback and I believe it is right that the government stands alongside affected workers at this time."

Last week, BT Group said it would support workers who lived beyond reasonable travel to an alternative location to review their options, which could include redundancy.

It said the changes were part of its modernisation programme, which would allow it to invest in spaces that better supported future ways of working.

In response to the MP, 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.

"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".

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