Responding to the news Virgin Media is to close its Swansea call centre at the cost of over 700 jobs, South Wales West AM, Suzy Davies, said:
“This is a devastating blow for the region and for all affected workers and their families.
“It is always extremely difficult for those affected by the prospect of redundancy, and the offer of redeployment to Manchester, the Philippines or India will not be feasible for the majority of employees.
“The Welsh Labour Government were caught unawares by a similar call centre closure last year in Cardiff so I do hope Ministers have been communicating with Virgin Media and are on top of this situation.
“We must now see the Welsh Government work with the company to ensure all possible support is provided to those employees under threat both in terms of retraining and support in securing new employment.
“As well as the direct effect on the employees and their families, decisions like this also do not serve to reinforce the message that Swansea is a great place for business to flourish.
“Exciting plans for our City Centre and the potential of the City Deal are already changing perceptions about the balance between public sector and private enterprise in the city.
“Swansea’s entrepreneurial reputation has been growing significantly and it’s a shame Virgin didn’t seek to surf that wave rather than leave for distant waters.”
Shadow Secretary for Economy, Russell George AM, added:
“This is hugely disappointing news for the area.
“The call centre is at the heart of the Swansea Enterprise Zone and this will have wide-ranging ramifications for local workers.
“I hope Welsh Government have learnt from previous mistakes and plans are already in motion to ensure a package of support is available for all those affected.”