Around 100 jobs are to be lost at Telecommunications firm Everything Everywhere as the group looks to consolidate its store portfolio.
Everything Everywhere, which was formed by the merger of Orange and T Mobile in 2010, currently operates 750 stores across the UK and employs more than 5,000 people in its retail team.
The company wants to reduce these numbers by targeting 31 towns in which it operates both Orange and T Mobile branded stores and replacing them with a single outlet operating under the Everything Everywhere name.
An Everything Everywhere spokesman said: “These proposals would have an impact on store manager roles within these stores, but not frontline sales staff.
“If we move forward with these proposals it would mean a reduction of 27 store manager roles and one assistant store manager role across our retail estate. We will be looking to redeploy any individuals affected by these changes wherever possible.
“We have also announced proposed organisational changes for our HQ retail department to deliver a new phase in retail which will focus on accelerating the company‘s objectives of delivering the best network and service. As a result of the proposed new structure, regrettably, 67 retail head office roles are impacted.”
The retailer claims that the new structure will allow it to be more agile and efficient, and despite the initial redundancies the changes will eventually create another 50 roles which the company hopes affected employees may apply for.
Union representatives have welcomed the move to try and re-employ displaced staff members but have also complained that the company has not offered any voluntary redundancies.
Ben Bellamy, a union official, said: “This will cause great uncertainty and worry for those members affected.
“We welcome the commitment from the employer to redeploy staff where possible and their encouragement for affected staff to move to non-retail roles, bringing their frontline skills into back-office roles.
“However, it may not be possible to do this for those working at remote locations who cannot get to an alternative office.”
