Virgin cuts telesales jobs

Virgin Media is to cut up to 270 telesales and sales support jobs in the Midlands as part of an ongoing operational restructure announced last November, it has emerged.

According to This is Nottingham, 148 staff working at Virgin's site in Colwick have been informed that the cable operator plans to close the telesales department by October.

The Wolverhampton Express and Star also reported that a Virgin Media call centre in Brierley Hill would close with the loss of 120 jobs.

"Although this is a difficult message for our staff, we felt it only right to share our plans with them as soon as this proposal had been confirmed," said Virgin Media chief executive Neil Berkett. "The proposal fits in with our strategy and long-term plans to create a better, more customer-focused organisation. Our priority now is to support our staff as best we can during this period."

It is understood that Virgin Media's call centre in Wythenshawe will become its main customer service and telesales presence in the UK, with some jobs being relocated there and others offshore to Manila.