Inverclyde councillors unite against closure of EE centre

The company, owned by BT Group, announced its intention to leave its Cartsburn base of nearly 25 years earlier this month.

While there are to be no redundancies, concerns have been raised that not all existing Inverclyde-based employees will be able to travel to Glasgow to continue in their roles.

It has also been highlighted that taking jobs away from the area will have a negative knock-on impact on Inverclyde’s economy.

At a recent full council meeting, councillors unanimously agreed a motion to formally oppose the plans and engage directly with BT Group, the Scottish Government and the UK Government to identify ways in which the jobs can be retained.

READ MORE: MSP demands a U-turn on closure of Greenock EE site

The motion notes that in the past year along, around 1,000 jobs have been lost in Inverclyde as a result of site closures.

Councillor Martin McCluskey, who put forward the motion, said: “We can’t sit idly by while another major employer decides to pack up and leave the area and watch the devastating impact that has on employees, their families, and the local economy.

“There is only so much we, as a council, can do to try and create employment opportunities because our powers and resources are very limited.

Councillor Martin McCluskey (Image: Inverclyde Council)

“We need the help and clout of government to help us to bring businesses and jobs to the area, not lose them.”

Councillor Jim Clocherty, who seconded the motion, added: “We have lost major employers such as Amazon and IBM in recent times and the loss of EE would be another hammer blow to Inverclyde.

“We simply cannot afford to lose more jobs from the area and we need urgent help from both governments to reverse this worrying flow of jobs out of Inverclyde.”