Call centre restructure could lead to redundancies
Two-hundred Direct Line staff face the threat of redundancy after parent company Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) unveiled plans to restructure its call centres.
The call centre staff were told of the group's plans on Monday.
Direct Line confirmed it will be consulting on its proposals to replace the call centres with 'centres of expertise'.
It is not known how many jobs will go. The consultation period is expected to last until the end of the summer, when the company will announce the final tally of redundancies.
One source said: "There is speculation that the Croydon office could be closed so Direct Line can move the call centre to its Glasgow office."
A Direct Line spokesman denied this. He said call centres would stay open at its bases around the country.
The spokesman added: "The announcement was made on Monday to Croydon staff. The office will remain open, but some functions will be moved around. It will mean redundancies."
' Two hundred employees at UKI Partnerships, the affinity arm of RBS Insurance, should learn within weeks whether they face redundancy as part of a review of the company's operations.
A UKI source told Insurance Times that discussions were still ongoing.
He added: "The official consultation period begins on 28 April. Firm news should follow soon afterwards."
It is understood the jobs of managers, line managers, planning and training staff in regional offices in Ipswich, Nottingham and Leeds are under threat.
UKI said the review would enable the company to "maximise existing resources and support stability and long-term growth".
