Just Eat confirms cuts at its Wearside callcentre - but says new jobs are on the way

The firm has confirmed it is in talks with employees at its base in Rainton Bridge – but says it also has plans to create dozens of new posts.

Just Eat announced in August last year it was planning to create more than 1,500 customer service posts over the coming year.

The firm was set to invest more than £100 million over the next five years after taking over the former npower callcentre, Rainton House.

Hundreds of people are now working at the centre – but a number have been informed that their jobs are under threat.

One worker contacted the Echo to say 13 team leaders and a number of support analysts have been told their jobs are at risk.

The company had told staff it was using analysis of performance stats to determine who would be made redundant.

There was anger that not all of the 49 team leaders were at risk of losing their jobs.

“They have had some team leaders off doing different things and have not had teams to look after,” the worker told the Echo.

"Because some people have not had teams to look after, their jobs have been deemed safe.”

Staff have been told their jobs are under review but the employee believes the decision has been taken.

The worker added: “We were told our jobs were at risk of redundancy, which they are not.

"We are being made redundant on the 31st of January.”

Just Eat confirmed there would be job losses at Rainton following a restructure, but employee numbers remained in the ‘high hundreds’.

The firm also said it planned to recruit a further 80 staff.

Dutch newspaper Het Financieele Dagbladnline has reported the firm is to close a customer service centre in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, and offer staff the chance to relocate to Wearside – a 300-mile switch.

A spokesperson said: "We have recently made improvements in our customer service efficiency that benefits both consumers and restaurants.

"Therefore we have made some necessary changes that impact colleagues of the global Customer Service team.

"This decision is not taken lightly and we will make every effort to retain employees where possible.

"We are in the process of discussing the individual impact with each employee."