Talk Talk rebuffs State request for time
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MANAGEMENT at the telecommunications company about to put 575 people out of a job have again rebuffed the government by refusing to extend a 30-day "consultation process" before closing its call centre.
Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore revealed last night after meeting with staff at Talk Talk in Waterford that he asked the company's CEO Dido Harding to prolong the 30-day period, which began last Thursday.
Talk Talk is adamant that the call centre will be closed by early next month.
The government was "extremely concerned at the very short period of notice that was given", he said.
Some employees may be entitled to more than 30 days' notice, he told Ms Harding. "She did say the company is in discussions with the employee forum and with the representatives of the employees and they will continue with those discussions."
Staff are "understandably shocked", Mr Gilmore said following a number of meetings with worker groups after being invited to Waterford by local Labour Party TD Ciara Conway. "Many of the employees who work here told me that they've never spent a day on the dole in their life."
Enterprise minister Richard Bruton is visiting Waterford tomorrow to meet Talk Talk employees as well as local politicians and business and community leaders.
However, Mr Gilmore had no specific news last night on any replacement employer for the Talk Talk site, despite telling reporters that the state had "moved very quickly" to "put a number of things in place" following the shock closure news.
- Conor Kane
Originally published in
