Virgin Media plans 2,200 job cuts

Virgin Media's job cuts will start in 2009

Cable group Virgin Media has said it plans to cut 2,200 jobs by 2012, about 15% of its workforce, as part of a group-wide overhaul.

Virgin Media said the changes were "critical" to ensuring it was positioned to compete effectively.

The group said it would not start cutting jobs until the fourth quarter of next year.

The job losses come after 4,000 jobs were cut in the wake of NTL's merger with Telewest in 2005.

The latest redundancies are part of Virgin Media's planned cost savings of up to �120m ($186.4m) over the next four years.

Debt repayments

"These changes are critical to ensuring Virgin Media is positioned to compete effectively and deliver on our customers' changing expectations," said chief executive Neil Berkett.

"We recognise that this brings with it significant uncertainty for our people and the communities where they work," he said.

The group added it would look to avoid redundancies and offer staff alternative roles where possible.

Earlier this month, the company won a deal to delay its debt repayments - giving it until 2012 to refinance �4.3bn worth of loans.

Virgin Media has 76 offices across the UK, with major bases including sites in London, Edinburgh, Nottingham and Sheffield.

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