Ladbrokes to cut staffing levels?

The Bootle Times in Liverpool reports that the proposed closure of betting company Ladbrokes call centre in Aintree (about 10.5 km north of Liverpool city centre) could put up to 263 employees out of work. Aintree is one of two Ladbrokes call centres in the UK, the other being in Harrow, Middlesex.
The company, which will be offering redeployment and relocation opportunities to minimise redundancies, entered into a period of consultation with employee representatives this week.
The newspaper report quotes a Ladbrokes spokesman as blaming competition from offshore operators for the decision, saying such rivals enjoy significant tax advantages. Ladbrokes recently moved its online operations to Gibraltar .
Ciaran O’Brien of Ladbrokes said that the company’s proposals included plans to redeploy or relocate employees to minimise redundancies.
“Telephone betting is a very competitive market and one that is becoming increasingly difficult for UK-based operators who face significantly higher levels of tax than those operating from offshore jurisdictions,” he explained.

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