WORKERS were left devastated yesterday as mobile phone giant Orange announced it was axing 300 jobs from its call centre in Almondsbury.

Staff at the Aztec West business park site were called to a meeting with managers at 2pm yesterday afternoon to be told that they were all to lose their jobs.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said staff at the site broke down in tears after being told the grim news.

A CWU spokesman said: "This bombshell is a betrayal of a loyal and hard-working workforce.

"People have struggled into work through appalling weather only to be told they are losing their jobs.

"We don't know if there will be any chance of deploying to other centres, but the nearest Orange call centre is in Plymouth."

One woman, whose mother works at the company, said: "My mother said all the staff were taken to a nearby hotel and told that the centre was being closed and everyone was being made redundant.

"Obviously it was a big shock for them, I don’t think anyone was expecting it."

Orange opened its Almondsbury base in February 2001.

A spokesman for Orange confirmed the redundancies and added: "As part of our strategy to improve, grow and evolve the company, we are continually looking at ways to ensure we are operating in the most efficient way.

"As such, we have been reviewing our building strategy and are proposing not to renew the lease for Keypoint, one building on our seven-offices campus in Bristol.

"The affected staff will be relocated to other Orange buildings in Bristol, relevant to the division of the business they work for.

"However, with no other Service operation in Bristol, staff from that division will be offered an opportunity to apply for work and a relocation package in our other Service centres across the UK.

"For those Service employees who do not wish to seek roles elsewhere in the business, redundancy packages will be available and employees will receive full support in finding alternative work.

"From today our collective consultation will begin to discuss this in more detail with all affected staff. There are no other Orange employees affected by this decision."