Union slams Orange for moving jobs to the Philippines

THE UK COMMUNICATION WORKERS UNION (CWU) said it is concerned about mobile operator Orange's decision to move a number of its jobs to the Philippines.

Orange will relocate around 40 of its night shift customer services roles abroad as a cost-cutting measure, but the union is worried about the impact it will have on the jobs situation in the Darlington area of the UK, where the staff work.

The former employees are being offered severance pay or a chance to switch to the day shift, which involves losing their shift differential. This means an effective pay cut of up to £8,000, which could have a significant impact on people's quality of life and ability to pay for essential needs.

The severance package is being criticised as less generous than previous packages offered to staff that were made redundant.

The emloyees also have the option to move to the Philippines, where they will receive paltry pay of £170 per month and a rice allowance. Suffice it to say, this is an unrealistic expectation for staff who receive much higher pay in the UK, regardless of how expensive it is here.

There are other call centres in the northeast of the country in Tyneside and Doxford that are owned by Orange and T-Mobile, which merged last year, and the CWU is concerned that offshoring jobs might become a trend, resulting in further job losses in the region.

The CWU is also unhappy with Orange over a lack of consultation between the company and its staff. µ