500 jobs to go at Serco (From Basingstoke Gazette)

500 jobs to go at Serco

1:00pm Tuesday 31st January 2012 in News By Chris Gregory

OFFICE workers in Hook face an uncertain future after service giant Serco revealed plans to cut 500 jobs.

The firm, which is based at Bartley Wood Business Park, in Bartley Way, said it is merging its business process operations into one global division, while also overhauling its management structure.

This process will lead to the loss of 500 jobs, the majority of which will go at the company’s Hook headquarters, which currently has around 2,000 employees.

The job losses will come at management level and from the firm’s own back office staff.

Marcus De Ville, head of media relations at Serco, told The Gazette that the plans are at an early stage and there will be a consultation period, which will last for at least two months.

He added: “We absolutely understand our staff might be concerned. That is why we are talking to them and developing the proposals, and the details will come out once we go forward.”

Mr De Ville added that the company has no plans to move its headquarters from Hook despite the announcement.

Serco delivers back-room support for companies and local authorities in the UK and around the world. It has 35,000 employees in the UK and 100,000 in total.

Serco handles the day-to-day management of leisure facilities in Basingstoke and Deane that are run by the Basingstoke and Deane Community Leisure Trust, including the Basingstoke Aquadrome and Tadley Swimming Pool.

It also helps to run AWE Aldermaston, as well as four prisons in the UK and the “Boris-bike” cycle hire scheme in London.

Serco chief executive Christopher Hyman said the shake-up will help the firm to do more business abroad.

He added: “These changes will also allow us to provide the integrated front, middle and back office operations that our markets are now seeking and, together with the improved innovation and efficiency in our management structure, they will support the further improvement of services that we deliver to our customers.”