 A number of Western firms are sourcing Indian call centre provision |
Concern at BT's decision to source call centre provision from India has been voiced by union bosses during a series of protests outside the company's offices. The Communication Workers' Union (CWU) claims the telecom giant's decision to join the growing number of Western firms using cheaper call centres in India could be "potentially devastating" for UK jobs.
BT announced earlier this year that it will open two Indian call centres - in Bangalore and Delhi - employing 2,200 people by 2004.
CWU members and officials protested at the plans outside BT's regional headquarters in Birmingham on Tuesday and asked the public to send postcards to chairman Sir Christopher Bland protesting at the alleged threat to jobs.
Patsy Slaven, deputy branch secretary of the CWU in the West Midlands, warned that thousands of people were employed in the call centre industry in Birmingham alone and these jobs could be at risk if more companies followed BT's lead.
No assurances
She said: "BT have refused to give us assurances that no jobs will go overseas.
"If you are desk-bound and computer-based and your job is done in Manchester then it could be done just as easily in Manila."
 |  We have repeatedly stressed that not one permanent BT person will lose their job as a result of moving some work to India  |
CWU deputy general secretary Jeannie Drake added: "Up to 200,000 UK jobs are at risk from remote sourcing. "If BT does not change its stance we will not hesitate to sanction industrial action."
But BT stressed that no permanent UK employees would be made redundant as a result of the move and there would be no compulsory lay-offs among agency staff.
A BT spokeswoman said: " We have repeatedly stressed that not one permanent BT person will lose their job as a result of moving some work to India.
Bill reminders
"Our plans for India are measured and responsible, designed to make BT more competitive and better able to serve our customers."
She explained that the Indian investment was �3m while �105m would be used to upgrade 31 existing BT call centre bases in the UK, including those in Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent.
BT is the latest in a series of firms, including insurers Aviva and Prudential, to investigate locating call centres in India, where costs can be 30% lower than in the UK.
BT's Indian call centres will deal with tasks such as ringing UK customers to remind them to pay their bills.
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