What’s funny about that?
BY KATHLEEN SPEIRS reporters@dailyrecord.co.uk MORE than 300 Vodafone jobs have been axed in Scotland the day after a boss posted pics of himself in a See You Jimmy hat.
Antonio Shabbir posed wearing the hat and holding a can of Irn-Bru less than 24 hours before staff in Glasgow were told they had to relocate down south or lose their jobs.
Customer operations director Shabbir caused uproar after the photo was uploaded to the firm’s system on Wednesday.
Several workers contacted the Record to flag up the post, which has since been deleted.
Shabbir is pictured grinning with the caption: “Getting ready for this month’s ‘Audience with Antonio’ – some exciting news to share.”
Yesterday, Vodafone confirmed that 312 jobs at the Berkeley Street office were being relocated to Manchester as part of a re-structure.
Those who are unable to up sticks and move down south will lose their jobs.
It is believed that each employee will have 60 days to decide whether they are moving or not.
Irate workers commented on the post in their droves, slamming it as “distasteful” and “truly awful”.
They said Shabbir hadn’t even bothered to tell them in person that their jobs were being moved.
Yesterday, Glasgow Central MP Alison Thewliss raised the issue in the House of Commons during Leader of the House Andrea Leadson’s business statement, blasting the photo as ‘insult to injury’.
In the Commons, Leadsom replied: “It sounds like the supposed joke was in extremely poor taste.
“Where a business has to relocate jobs, the greatest sympathy needs to be paid to those who will have to relocate or lose their jobs. “She (Thewliss) may well want to seek an adjournment debate so she can raise her concern directly with ministers.” A Vodafone spokesperson told the Record: “Today, 312 employees at our Berkeley Street office in Glasgow were told that due to re-structuring their jobs would be relocated to Manchester. “This announcement was first made in January of this year. We understand that due to circumstances, not everyone will be able to relocate. “The Glasgow office is not closing down.”