Stoke - Meeting over centre closure

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UNION representatives have met with Labour leader Ed Miliband to discuss a campaign to safeguard hundreds of jobs at a Royal Mail call centre.

Members of the Communication Workers' Union (CWU) launched a petition against Royal Mail plans to review its base at Etruria after news of the proposals emerged in November.

And last week regional secretary Lee Barron raised the issue with Mr Miliband when he visited Birmingham.

Mr Barron said: "The meeting went very well. I made particular reference to Stoke-on-Trent because unemployment levels are higher than the regional and national average. The decision to threaten the future of the call centre there is unacceptable.

"Mr Miliband said he would be speaking to the local MPs and also the shadow Business Secretary. They are going to raise it at the highest level not as a political issue but because of the concern that the area is suffering more than others.

"Royal Mail has taken a disproportionate amount of jobs out of Stoke-on-Trent."

Closing the Etruria centre would lead to the loss of 400 jobs.

The firm says it is reviewing its customer services bases across the country, but maintains no final decision has yet been made about its future.