Vodafone blames 150 job losses on competition

VODAFONE yesterday confirmed it is to make 150 staff redundant due to increased competition in the industry.

The mobile phone company employs 1,200 people at its head office in Sandyford in Dublin and a further 300 staff in shops around the country.

Vodafone said it had begun an organisational review of its operations in order to compete effectively in what it described as “a challenging economic environment.”

Last night it issued a statement in which it said it had advised staff and unions that it was to seek 150 redundancies and it said it hoped to achieve them through a voluntary redundancy programme.

“It is expected that the consultation process will take one month and the company is committed to working with the unions and employees throughout this period,” a spokeswoman said.

She added that the company did not intend to shut any of its shops but that it had not been decided from which sections the redundancies would be sought.

Terry Delaney of the Communication Workers Union, which represents a significant number of Vodafone staff, said the union still required further information on the rationale for the cutbacks as well as the nature of any job losses.

He said the union would rather see the necessary savings made through alternative cost-saving measures than the redundancies and said he would be making that point to management in meetings next week.

He also insisted any redundancies would have to be on very favourable terms to those affected.