T-Mobile urged to keep Scots jobs

More than 400 TSC staff working in Larbert and Greenock face the axe

The Scottish Government is calling on telecoms giant T-Mobile to ditch plans to move hundreds of call centre jobs to the Philippines.

Alex Salmond faced claims that Scottish staff were being "dumped" in favour of a "cheaper overseas" option during First Minister's Questions on Thursday.

About 300 out of 500 staff employed by Telecom Service Centres (TSC) in Larbert face losing their jobs.

A further 118 jobs at a call centre in Greenock are also at risk.

Mr Salmond voiced "disappointment" at the planned redundancies and said it was no reflection on the workforce.

The government, including Enterprise Minister Jim Mather, has been closely involved in the issue.

The workforce is rightly angry that they have been dumped for a cheaper overseas option after years of dedication Michael Matheson MSP

"Mr Mather is writing to the parent company of T-Mobile to argue the case to retain this business in Scotland," Mr Salmond said.

Falkirk East MSP Michael Matheson said a letter from T-Mobile indicated that they were working with TSC to "minimise and mitigate" the job losses.

"My constituents tell me there is no evidence of this whatsoever," Mr Matheson said.

"The workforce is rightly angry that they have been dumped for a cheaper overseas option after years of dedication."

He called on Mr Salmond to use the full resources of the Scottish Government to try to "dissuade" T-Mobile from "taking these jobs overseas" and, failing this to ensure the firm lived up to its promises on minimising job losses.

Labour's Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Duncan McNeill said Mr Mather had shown a "complacent" attitude in response to the issue.

'Rapid intervention'

"It is a very important issue that faces not just TSC workers but the whole of the call centre sector in Scotland," Mr McNeill said.

"I hope that action will be taken."

However, the first minister said "rapid intervention" by the government previously saved 900 call centre jobs in Cumbernauld when Scottish and Southern Energy stepped in after Barclaycard pulled out.

"Scottish ministers will do their utmost to minimise the damage of this recession to the Scottish economy," he said.

TSC revealed earlier this month that hundreds of jobs could be lost if its major contractor T-Mobile moved work overseas.

The company provides customer service and technical support to the mobile phone giant.

TSC, which operates seven sites in Scotland and one at Dearne Valley in South Yorkshire, provides contact centre staff across the business sector.