British Telecom is to cut 2,200 jobs as part of a major reorganisation of its call centre operations.

Of the staff cuts, 1,000 are part of a previously announced programme to lose 13,000 posts by April 2003, while 1,200 jobs will now be cut by 31 March 2004.

The company will close 53 of its smaller call centres over the next two years, but is spending �100m on creating 30 "multi-function" centres.

Most of the staff at the centres being shut will be relocated to the new sites, and BT said there would be no compulsory redundancies.

Cost-cutting programme

BT is now focusing its efforts on what it describes as "next generation multi-function customer contact centres".

It said the centres will cover a range of services for residential and small business customers.

The job cuts will reduce the number of full-time posts at BT Retail's call centre operations from about 15,800 to about 13,600.

"Every year about 10% of people working in our contact centres leave by their own choice to take up positions elsewhere in the company or leave BT altogether," said Carol Borghesi, head of BT's new call centre project.

"This natural wastage, over the two-year implementation period, gives us scope and flexibility to help with redeployment."

Union fears

But Jeannie Drake, the deputy director general of the Communication Workers Union, said she wanted guarantees that workers being moved would be offered comparable jobs.

"The introduction of these changes will in many cases cause enormous problems for members, their families and their communities."

"We believe the company has obligations to its people which it cannot ignore. This is a huge company with social obligations."