The policy to trim down staff numbers was announced by Thomas Cook at its Larbert call centre which currently employs more than 400 people. It is because of the new telephone system that will be utilized to allow the store to deal with transactions handled at Larbert. According to Cook, 300 jobs were in danger and 59 contractual workers will also be affected. Presently, a legal 90-day discussion is conducted with the staff.

Workers' contracts that will end up to the first week of June will be vanished.  Changes in the company transactions will not affect staff with permanent status. Thomas Cook established a proposal (which is subject to 90-day consultation) for the outcome of the new telephony system which started last April 2009. The new system will redirect calls to its Thomas Cook Direct, Thomas Cook TV and Flights Direct Sales Centre contacts to a network of its 135 trade stores. [via]