Research firm cans 50 jobs

Photo / Bay of Plenty Times

Market research company Colmar Brunton is to close its North Shore call centre with the loss of 50 jobs and Unite Union wants a boycott of the company.

"The company has decided to close its North Shore call centre and announced the decision just weeks before Christmas, leaving our members facing the new year without a job, income or any form of compensation," said union national director Mike Treen.

The firm said yesterday that the call centre would close.

Field services manager Donald Carter said a proposal to restructure telephone-based fieldwork was presented to employees and their representatives at the start of this month.

"New developments in the technology we use to carry out telephone surveys, combined with the migration from traditional telephone-based surveys to internet surveys, have forced us to re-evaluate the viability of continuing to maintain a separate contact centre," he said.

The company was consulting field staff and their representatives on the restructuring, he said. Any staff made redundant would receive their full entitlements. The company would also work with employee representatives and outside agencies to help those affected to find alternative work.

Mr Treen said Unite would be asking its members and the public not to take part in Colmar Brunton surveys in the new year.

- NZPA