BT workers to protest against Indian call centres

Published on Monday 17 March 2003 00:00

ANGRY BT workers are to stage unofficial walk-outs in protest at plans to open two call centres in India.

Thousands of workers are expected to man picket lines outside BT centres, including Bathgate, West Lothian, to show their anger at the decision.

The demonstrations could disrupt BT services on Thursday, although staff have agreed to only stage the protests during their breaks.

BT bosses are planning to open two directory inquiries centres in Bangalore and New Delhi in April as they bid to cut costs by employing cheap foreign labour.

The telecoms giant has admitted the move will eventually lead to its call centre workforce in Britain being cut by 12,000. The company currently employs 2400 people in Scotland and workers will stage demos outside call centres in Kirkcaldy, Inverness and Glasgow as well as Bathgate.

The call centres in India will employ 500 people to start with but BT have set a target of 2200 to work there by this time next year.

Workers in the UK are expected to vote for strike action as they campaign against the plans. But BT insisted the transfer will go ahead as it attempts to drive down retail division costs by 150 million in two years.

One Glasgow worker said staff were very concerned about their jobs.

He said: "BT says there will be no job cuts and people will just not be replaced when they leave but we are worrying about what jobs will be left at the end of the day.

"It is not an easy situation. The protest on Thursday is not a walk-out as such, it is a day of action."

The new staff in India, most of whom are university graduates, have already been shown British soap operas to help them get used to regional accents.