Bury Labour Councillors Vote To Support The CWU Campaign To Keep Tesco Mobile In Bury

The campaign to Keep Capita Tesco Mobile jobs in Bury received unanimous support from Bury Labour Councillors this week with the carriage of a motion calling on Capita and Tesco mobile to reconsider their decision to close their operation in Bury.

Prior to the motion being debated Carl Webb, CWU Regional Secretary and Nadeem Khan, Branch Officer with responsibility for the CWU Tesco Mobile Members addressed the Councillors giving them an update on the campaign. They also thanked Eamonn O’Neil, Leader of Bury Council and those Labour Councillors who attended the demo held outside the Capita Contact Centre.

Cllr Trevor Holt, retired Postman moved the motion below which was carried by unanimously by the Bury Labour Group.

This Labour Group calls upon Capita and Tesco Mobile to reconsider their decision to close their operation in Bury and to work with the Council and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) to find a solution that keep the jobs in Bury.    

If the current plans are implemented this will have an adverse impact on the local economy.

The decision by Capita to move the operation and jobs 35 miles to Preston Brook, with no public transport links, should be put on hold to allow time for the Council to work with Capita and Tesco Mobile to find a solution that better reflects their Social Corporate Responsibility polices to the environment, their employees and the town.

 The Labour Group also believes that the employees deserve much better. They have worked tirelessly through the unknowns of a pandemic and have been rewarded with the threat of losing their jobs or a 70 mile round trip adding two hours on their working day. Key Workers deserve better.

 The CWU have put forward an alternative vision that we believe should be given serious consideration by Capita and Tesco Mobile as this would not only would retain much needed jobs in Bury, but also deliver savings for Capita and Tesco Mobile.   

 CWU Proposals

 1) Allow employees the opportunity to continue their role at Tesco Mobile in a ‘Work from Home’ capacity at the current levels, not the diminished 25% proposed. To the best of our knowledge, this has worked well for the vast majority of advisors over the past year and we see no feasible reason why it should not continue.

 2) For those that cannot commit to working from home on a permanent basis, Capita should look at alternative sites in the local area, which will allow the role to remain in Bury or the surrounding area.