Local campaign to fight my imminent redundancy.

[Peter McCoy]

As some of you may know, in September Virgin Media announced that it would likely be closing down the centre I work at in Liverpool by April 2012. Well the union has been hard at work trying to help Virgin Media procure an alternate local site that is cheaper to allow us to keep our jobs. At every turn Virgin Media has turned down the union's suggestions, giving the impression that the consultation is a case of going through the motions regarding a decision that, as far as they are concerned, is final.

The other day, local and national news crews were outside our centre in Liverpool's famous Albert Dock area, highlighting the support for our campaign to keep our jobs by local MP's and Liverpool City councillors.

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At one point in the news coverage, one of the union guys calls on Richard Branson to step in and take a look at the situation himself. We've yet to hear from the man who has always said "Employee's first, customers second, shareholders third." Will he get in touch?

Hopefully. But in the meantime our union reps are still hard at work fighting for our jobs. And the latest news is this fun animation on their Youtube channel...

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For those not in the know, Swansea is 4 and a half hours away form Liverpool by train. For an 8am-4pm shift I'd have to leave the house at 2-30am, and I'd get home at around 9-00pm, with barely 5 hours to sleep - unless I want some dinner!

[Yog]

I've been on Albert Dock. :)

So how come they want to move this store to a much smaller city? Don't they already have stores in Swansea?

[Peter McCoy]

It's not a store, it's a broadband technical support call centre. They own the Swansea site whereas they pay rent for the Liverpool site.

[Dasquian Belargic]

I hope Virgin can come to some kind of agreement to keep the call centre in Liverpool open.

The lease on our building is up next year, but fortunately the NHS already owns some property in the area that isn't completely full so we are relocating to another location in Newcastle. Slightly inconvenient, but nothing like a trip to Wales!

[Katrin Laran]

Woah, no idea you worked for Virgin. I hope everything works out for you. I've had the chance to speak to Richard Branson at a space conference and he seemed like a nice guy.....of course that doesn't mean jack in the corporate sense.

I hope he sticks to his mantra. Good luck and wish you the best.