UNION members at O2 in Bury are to be balloted over strike action in the wake of a shock announcement that more than half the workforce will have their jobs outsourced.

On Monday, around 50 employees staged a three-hour protest outside the Dumers Lane call centre over plans to transfer 734 of the 1,200-strong workforce to Capita next month.

Fears over their long-term future have been heightened following a report in a national newspaper that Capita has drawn up documents to shut the Bury call centre and another in Glasgow within three years.

Last month, O2 disclosed it planned to outsource more than 3,000 call centre jobs from its sites in Bury, Glasgow, Preston Brook and Leeds as part of a 10-year extension to its relationship with Capita.

Staff affected will be subject to a TUPE transfer and will have their jobs guaranteed for two years.

But the Communications Workers Union wants this protection extended.

Sandra Walmsley, lead CWU representative at Bury, said: “As the union has been given no assurances on the protection of pay and conditions throughout the 10-year period, and in light of the speculation of closure, we have entered into a formal trade dispute with O2.”

Bury union members and their counterparts at the other call centres will be balloted over industrial action and the result should be known by June 18.

Miss Walmsley added: “We have asked for assurances on job security, terms and conditions throughout that 10-year period. When we met O2 and Capita last week, they were unable to give us any assurances on long-term job security or, indeed, the protection of terms and conditions.

“This document says Capita will start to wind down the sites in Bury and Glasgow and will look to close in 2015-16 which fits in with their two year job guarantee.

“The company has not come back and emphatically said the Bury call centre won’t close in 2015.”

Miss Walmsley continued: “The union has been backed into a corner and we’ve been left with no alternative but to have a ballot.

“We’re not getting the solid reassurance we need to believe these things aren’t going to happen. Trust is at rock bottom. We don’t know what to believe.”

Monday’s demonstration drew support from several Bury councillors and members of the public who joined the protestors.

Bury South MP Ivan Lewis is to meet Capita transformation director Wayne McPherson in Westminster next Thursday.

The MP said: “This cavalier treatment of a loyal and committed workforce is totally unacceptable.

“I will be seeking an urgent reassurance about workers’ terms and conditions, their job security and the long-term future of the Bury site.

“The workers at O2 have a right to frank answers, both from current and prospective employers.”

An O2 spokeswoman said: “With regard to the notice to ballot, we are disappointed.

“We’re committed to meeting the CWU as frequently as necessary to discuss their concerns with the aim of reaching agreement and avoiding the ballot or industrial action.”

She said O2 was also disputing the reports over the possible closure of the Bury site.

In a statement, Capita said: “We have guaranteed the jobs of transferred employees for at least two years. If there is any future business requirement to reduce the workforce for O2 this will not necessarily result in redundancies because we will actively manage the process, with roles not automatically filled when people leave and through potential redeployment to other roles within Capita’s strongly growing customer management business.”