Up to 2,800 jobs will go at the new Thomas Cook Group over the summer – and all staff can expect to be part of redundancy consultations over the next 15 months.
The former MyTravel head office in Rochdale will close with the loss of 900 jobs, as will the MyTravel customer support and holidays division at nearby Helmshore, where 300 work.
Thomas Cook Airlines’ Manchester Airport base, which employs 300, will shut – with the operations merged into MyTravel Airways’ base at the airport.
The MyTravel specialist call centre in Manchester will also close, with 20 job losses, as will Thomas Cook-owned Birmingham call centre employing 80.
Details of other job losses remained confidential ahead of the first of a series of meetings with union officials and staff representatives on Friday, beginning a 90-day consultation with staff.
However, a group spokeswoman confirmed: “It is a group-wide consultation. All staff will be represented over the 15-month process.”
Up to 900 retail staff will be affected by the closure of 150 shops, leaving the group with 800 outlets.
However, UK and Ireland chief executive John Bloodworth said: “We will offer re-employment to all our sales people, although it may not be in the same town or city.”
He said 92% of the 500 MyTravel shop staff affected by a previous round of shop closures had been redeployed.
The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association described the cuts as ‘draconian’, adding that it would do all it could to minimise job losses.
TSSA union organiser for the trade Rick Justham has asked to represent MyTravel staff in the talks as well as those at Thomas Cook.
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