Capita Poland relocation threat sparks jobs fear

JOB worries . . . the company’s Delph premises

WORRIED employees of languages company Capita fear they will lose their jobs if proposals to relocate the business to Poland go ahead.

The language and translation services business, based in Huddersfield Road, Delph, has started a four-week consultation period that has left workers worried for their future.

A Capita Translation and Interpreting spokesman said expanding the use of the company’s centre in Krakow, Poland could result in up to 30 local jobs being subject to redundancy.

“We hope some employees will be able to find suitable redeployment opportunities within Capita,” he said. Capita has 165 British staff and 210 worldwide and the proposals will not close the Delph centre.

The firm supplies translators for the justice system through government-funded contracts.

The mother of a 24-year-old Oldham man, who has worked at Capita for over two years, has written to Business Secretary Vince Cable to express her disgust.

“Out of the 40 or so that work at the Delph office, they have been told that between 24 and 27 will lose their jobs. I think they will let this first lot go and then get rid of the rest quietly before they shut the office altogether,” she said.

Saddleworth entrepreneur Gavin Wheeldon set up Applied Language Solutions in 2003, and the company was bought by Capita in December 2011. Since then the company has been plagued by criticism following “significant and repeated failings” that led to postponed court cases, suspects being released and compensation claims.

A year ago the Ministry of Justice announced close monitoring of the contractor after a report on the first three months of its five-year contract revealed 3,833 unfulfilled requests for interpreters and 2,232 complaints.