Sky says 2,000 jobs at risk at call centre sites

The media and telecoms company said its proposals, including the closure of three of its ten UK sites, would affect 7% of its overall workforce and are currently subject to consultation.

Sky has proposed to close its Stockport, Sheffield and Leeds Central contact centres, and said the operations at Dunfermline and Newcastle would also be affected.

Sky said that it planned a multi-million pound investment in its Livingston site to create a "centre of excellence" as it sought to adapt to changing customer habits through the use of technology amid declining call volumes.

A spokesperson said: "We're transforming our business to deliver quicker, simpler, and more digital customer service. Our customers increasingly want choice, to speak to us on the phone when they need us most and the ease of managing everyday tasks digitally.

"We're investing in a new centre of excellence for customer service, alongside cutting-edge digital technology to make our service seamless, reliable, and available 24/7. This is about building a future-ready Sky that continues to put our customers and their needs first."

Sky News reported that the company, owned by US-based Comcast, currently receives 25 million calls from its customers across Europe each year – but that is expected to ease by a third over the coming few years.