Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald has said the news that BT intends to close its operations in Derry is "deeply disappointing."
The Minister said: “This news is deeply disappointing, especially coming so soon after losses of 300 jobs in Enniskillen last year.
“As a significant employer in Derry for many years, this announcement will be of real concern to BT workers and the wider local community.
“I met with the company this afternoon and made clear that these plans are entirely contrary to my drive for regional balance.
"I offered the support of my Department and Invest NI to retain the jobs in Derry but unfortunately the company is proceeding with its consultation.
"Invest NI will however be working with staff affected to offer retraining and to help them with other job opportunities.”
Dr Archibald's statement follows the recent revelation that the telecoms giant BT has begun a consultation process to close its office in Derry with the potential loss of around 140 jobs. The move has been described as “devastating for the city”.
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In a statement a BT Group spokesperson said: “We are going through an ambitious modernisation programme and consolidating buildings in our estate from more than 300 to closer to 30, modern workspaces.
“We are considering closing our office in Derry and are consulting with colleagues and their unions on our proposals.
“Where appropriate, people will be given the opportunity to relocate to other roles at our Riverside Tower office in Belfast, which benefited from a multi-million pound refurbishment in 2023 and which is home to around 2,000 people.”
In January BT - which employs more than 3,400 people across its wider Northern Ireland operations - said that around 90 staff could be made redundant at its Riverside Tower office in Belfast.
They will be cut from the 2,000 people who work there within the wider BT Group, which includes EE, BT Business and Openreach.
BT Group previously said it aimed to downsize its workforce to between 75,000 and 90,000 employees by 2030.
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