Liverpool city council has asked BT to pause plans to move 600 jobs out of the city.The telecom firm said part of the reason for the decision was an increase in lease renewal costs at its offices on Old Hall Street and added that it was part of a wider “optimisation and modernisation” of its working spaces.The plans would see roles moved to Manchester and Leeds.One Labour councillor described the move as “redundancy by stealth”, and said many workers would be forced to leave the company rather than commute to a new location.BT said it is continuing to engage with employees, unions and politicians.Employees affected include BT Business staff, Openreach workers and 999 call handlers. Relay services workers who enable deaf people to communicate over the phone, are also affected.Merseyside politicians protested against the plans outside the Plaza office building this week. A motion to request the authority urge BT to pause its plans and consider alternatives, such as allowing hybrid working and maintaining a presence in Liverpool, was supported cross party at a full council meeting.Councillor Peter Norris who proposed the motion said BT had delivered a “devastating blow” to the city.He added: “We’re talking about 601 high quality, specialised jobs gone from our local economy. Let us be clear about what BT is asking of these workers.”They’re telling parents, carers and long-serving staff that if they want to keep their livelihood they must absorb the crushing physical, mental and financial toll of a gruelling daily commute to Manchester or Leeds. For many, that is impossible.He added: “It is redundancy by stealth.”
Liverpool BT office closure is ‘redundancy by stealth’ says union
