Debenhams’ Taunton Customer Call Centre (CCC) is to be closed with the loss of at least 230 jobs. As workers arrived for work on 3 April they were instructed to attend a meeting. They were informed that they may be given the ‘opportunity’ to relocate the 210 miles to Leeds where the new larger Customer Call Centre would be located if they wanted to save their jobs.
After the meeting, Debenhams announced that not only are the jobs to be moved but that they are also going to be outsourced to Capita.
The workforce is largely composed of younger workers, one of whom, Kirsty, told the Socialist: “I work in the CCC and I am totally outraged about this. I had to find out on Facebook because I had the day off on 3 April and wasn’t asked to go in for the meeting.” Another worker added: “This is ridiculous. They are still advertising for staff and we get told at last minute when they have been arranging this for months, I’m absolutely livid.”
