STAFF at an Accrington call centre who were made redundant when bosses transferred operations to India have won a six-figure payout.

The settlement brings a conclusion to a three-year battle by lawyers to win compensation for former employees of Sitel UK Limited.

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The staff were let go after the company lost a major contract with holiday website Expedia.

Around 250 people lost their job when the company shut its offices at the Globe Centre in Accrington in November 2011 and switched work to a facility in Bangalore.

Some 120 former employees brought employment-tribunal claims against Sitel for unfair dismissal. They also argued that they had not been adequately consulted, either collectively or individually, before the firm took the decision to close the site.

An employment tribunal in Manchester ruled in favour of staff in May last year.

A three-strong panel, headed by employment judge David Franey, backed the workers after a series of hearings.

In a lengthy judgement, the tribunal found last year that although a redundancy policy had been drafted by management in April 2011, there was no evidence it had been circulated to staff at Accrington.

Compensation has now been agreed and paid to the former employees involved.

Carl Moran, an employment-law partner at JMW Solicitors, acted on their behalf and said he was delighted that the case had come to an end.

He said: “The staff who took action are pleased with the outcome and the fact that they have received well-deserved compensation.

“This was a long and technical case, given that we had to demonstrate that the individuals involved did have grounds to make their claim in the UK and did not have to pursue the Indian company, as Sitel had suggested they should.

“The employees who lost their jobs were tremendously relieved when the tribunal agreed that their dismissals were unfair and that Sitel did not properly consult with them. They can now begin to move on.”