900 UK Jobs Under Threat At Virgin Media

Around 900 jobs are under threat at telecoms firm Virgin Media after it announced plans for a shake-up.

The group, owned by US giant Liberty Global (NasdaqGS: LBTYA - news) , warned that the redundancies were likely over the next two years as it undergoes a structural shake-up.

Chief executive Tom Mockridge said: "The proposed reorganisation will give us an even sharper focus on the customer, network expansion and business growth."

The company said it could not give a breakdown of the affected areas since consultations were ongoing.

Virgin, which offers broadband, TV and phone services, has more than five million customers.

It (Other OTC: ITGL - news) has offices throughout the UK. Virgin's head office in Hook, Hampshire, employs about 1,200 while there are also major sites at Hammersmith in London and Birmingham.

Some of the affected employees will be moved to other roles as the company looks to expand in other areas.

Mr Mockridge insisted that the group was still "expanding, investing and growing". It aims to increase its workforce of directly employed and outsourced staff from 23,000 last year to 25,000 in 2016, and 26,000 in 2017.

But some of the new roles will be outsourced to firms in the UK, across Europe and worldwide.

The company, launched more than a decade ago, boasts that it is the UK's first provider of all four broadband, TV, mobile phone and home phone services.

It was formed by the merger in 2006 between cable groups Telewest and NTL and mobile operator Virgin Mobile. Liberty agreed to buy the group for about £10bn in 2013.