Colmar Brunton sheds 50 jobs

Market research company Colmar Brunton is to close its North Shore call centre with the loss of 50 jobs and Unite Union is calling for 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 Unite Union national director Mike Treen.

The company confirmed to NZPA today the call centre would close.

Field services manager Donald Carter said a proposal to restructure the company's 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," Mr Carter said.

"We have considered a range of possible options, and we believe the best solution is to close the Croftfield Lane facility, and consolidate telephone-based survey work in our regional network."

The company was consulting field staff and their representatives on the restructuring. Any staff made redundant would receive their full entitlements. The company would also work with employee representatives and outside agencies to help those affected 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, especially not the cigarette surveys they ran for British American Tobacco.

- NZPA