Eight call centres will be shut in Scotland

Unions have said they are not convinced BT can offer reasonable alternative jobs to all the staff involved and that they will not support the change programme unless certain guarantees are offered.

The Scottish changes are part of a plan to axe 53 call centres across the UK with the loss of more than 2,000 jobs.

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.

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.

'Social obligations'

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

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," she said.