The front page of the Impartial Reporter of February 15 was on every seat at an emotional public meeting in the Westville Hotel last night (Monday, March 4).
John McVitty’s front page picture captured the hurt and anger around 300 workers were feeling after the shock announcement that hundreds of EE workers could lose their jobs after the decision to “review” the presence of the company in Enniskillen- was taken a few weeks ago.
That decision has been like a dagger in the heart of Enniskillen as a crowd of 250, many of them, worried workers came out to see if the threat to their jobs was as big as they feared.
But, while there was an understandable fear in the room that at least some of the jobs might go given the company’s "divide and conquer” ploy of offering redundancy packages there was also strong hope that Economy Minister Conor Murphy and Invest NI could be persuaded to come up with a package to save the jobs.
There was a call at the meeting for Minister Murphy and a representative of Invest NI to be invited to a future meeting.
The message from the top table of Stephen Albon, Communications Workers Union Representative (CWU); Mark Feehily, Regional CWU Secretary; Joe Fee, Northern Ireland Branch Chairperson and Erin Massey, Regional CWU Secretary was to “fight to save the jobs and to remove the argument from EE/BT to close the branch.”
Northern Ireland Branch Secretary, Mark Feehily who works in the centre as does his wife, told the meeting that it had been “just over three weeks since the announcement that the EE/BT Centre had not been identified as a long-term location for consumer contact centres".
On the same day, a voluntary paid leavers scheme was opened.
“That day was February 8, 2024, the day all our lives changed.
“The early feeling was that the centre would close, and we would all be out of work in an area of already severe economic imbalance and 300 people chasing minimum wage jobs.
“On February 8, the future looked dire but since that date, the CWU has been out and about and in the ears of anyone that will make a difference.”
He added that they had built an online platform called SOS Save Our Site and had engaged with the local MP, MLAs and councillors and have spoken to the press locally, regionally and nationally and the local businesses and some of them were on the Nolan Show.
Mr. Feehily said they had also spoken to Invest NI and the Department of the Economy where Conor Murphy is Minister.
“You must know that everyone we have spoken to is behind you and they will do whatever needs to be done within their power to save your jobs here in Enniskillen.
“But we are greatly heartened by a recent statement from Minister Murphy on a BBC website on Thursday, February 29.
“The headline on the article was that 'BT has been warned that it will suffer reputational damage if it decides to cut 300 jobs in County Fermanagh'.”
“This warning came in a letter to the company from Stormont’s Economy Minister Conor Murphy."
He added that closing the centre would be completely contrary to his aim for regional economic balance.
“BT states that a final decision has not been made but that the building in Enniskillen would require significant improvements to make it fit for purpose.
“The company is pursuing a wider policy of consolidation in its UK offices, as part of this the company’s Northern Ireland headquarters in Belfast recently re-opened after a recent multi-million-pound upgrade.”
Mr. Feehily said that Mr. Murphy described BT as an excellent brand that had a good relationship with his department.
Mr. Murphy also noted that between 2017 and 2020 Invest NI offered the company almost £9m in grant support for two projects in Northern Ireland.
He added: “Should the job losses in Enniskillen materialise, it will be completely contrary to my economic vision and particularly to the objective of regional balance and it would also damage the reputation of BT.”
For the full report on the public meeting, see this week's edition of The Impartial Reporter, in shops on Thursday or subscribe online via www.impartialreporter.com/subscribe.
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