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Call centre jobs to be saved
10/06/2008
Scottish and Southern Energy's decision to take over Barclaycard's call centre in Cumbernauld and safeguard up to 800 jobs is excellent news for the local area and the wider Scottish economy, First Minister Alex Salmond said today.
The First Minister, who visited the premises this morning to meet staff, welcomed SSEs decision to save all operational jobs, with the intention to reach the site capacity of 1,000 employees within two years. SSE has also identified scope to develop a training centre on site. In addition, Barclays and SSE have both indicated opportunities for Goldfish corporate staff elsewhere in the Barclays operation, or within the skill set required for SSE.
He said:
"First and foremost this news will be a huge relief for the workforce at the call centre. Staff can now look to the future with confidence with one of Scotland's greatest companies, a fantastic development for both employees and their families.
"Today's announcement to save 800 jobs, with the potential for even more jobs to come, is a significant boost both for Cumbernauld and for the Scottish economy as a whole. The jobs saved today will mean more people with more money in their pockets. That's particularly crucial for families at the current time.
"I want to pay tribute to all involved for the work done to find what I believe is the best possible outcome. SSEs decision is a real tribute to the quality of the workforce and of the contact centre itself. It demonstrates that in Scotland we have the flexibility and the resourcefulness to adapt to the challenges presented by todays economic challenges. The announcement today demonstrates the resilience of the Scottish economy in the face of global pressures.
"There are many reasons to be optimistic about Scotland's economic future - we have a highly skilled workforce, a world class reputation in areas like financial services, life sciences and energy and a government and public sector that is totally committed to increasing sustainable economic growth.
"The initiative today is a great boost for Cumbernauld after weeks of uncertainty and will be greeted with huge satisfaction across the local community".