Kwik Fit Insurance Services will shut down an office in South Lanarkshire, Scotland next year, threatening the jobs of 521 employees.
The company’s owner, Belgium-based insurer Ageas, told staff in Uddingston town that it was consulting on closure by the end of March 2017, the
BBC reported.
An Ageas spokeswoman said Kwik Fit Insurance Services has been “under pressure for some time” as a result of changes in the way people buy insurance and on how the personal insurance market now operates.
“We have made a number of attempts to address this but they have not been sufficient to improve performance and address declines in workload,” the
BBC quoted the spokeswoman as saying.
“This means difficult choices have to be considered. Subject to employee consultation, we are proposing to close our Uddingston office next year,” she added.
Ageas said the planned office closure is not related to the Brexit move or a possible second independence referendum in Scotland. The firm explained that the move is just the result of “fundamental changes in the personal insurance market.”
According to the
BBC, Scottish business minister Paul Wheelhouse had spoken with Ageas as he was “very disappointed” with the news. He assured government help to the affected employees.
Scottish Parliament member Richard Lyle had also reached out to Ageas to ensure that the affected employees will be included in the consultation, according to a report by
Glasgow Live. Lyle said he will visit the staff on Friday.
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