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GMB Calls On British Gas To Come Clean On Off-Shoring Jobs To India
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Date: 15 May 2006
Current British Gas delegation to India and presence of Indian call centre staff in Manchester heightens fears that thousands of jobs are at risk
GMB members employed by British Gas in their 7 offices throughout Britain are convinced that British Gas is actively planning to outsource thousands of staff jobs to India. The convictions are based on the actions of the company.
The staff are employed in British Gas offices in : - Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds, Leicester, Southampton, Talbot Road Manchester and Uddingston near Glasgow.
Gary Smith, GMB National Officer for the Gas Industry has today written to Sir Roy Gardener, Chief Executive of Centrica plc owners of British Gas conveying to him the level of concern felt by British Gas staff at the threat to their jobs. (See copy of the letter below.). The letter advises British Gas that GMB members in Manchester have been told that Indian nationals based there are trainers learning British Gas systems which later this year will be transferred to India. The systems they are learning are front line systems not back office functions. British Gas has given a commitment that no frontline systems would be off-shored. The systems if they are off-shored will be in breach of that commitment. The letter also draws attention to the fact that British Gas has a delegation currently in India which GMB members presume is part of the off-shoring process. Reference is made in the letter that two technology projects dealing with billing and work allocation are way over budget and that seeking to off-shore jobs is a way of saving the money wasted on the mis-management of theses projects.
Gary Smith, GMB National Officer told Sir Roy, “You will no doubt appreciate the concern being felt by your employees. I therefore trust that, by return, you will clarify the Company’s intentions. I will take this opportunity to state that GMB is of the view that the business has long benefited from trading under the British Gas brand and as such GMB believes that you have a responsibility to the British workforce.”
End
Contact: Gary Smith, GMB National Officer on 07710 618909. GMB Press Office: Steve Pryle on 07921 289880 or Rose Conroy 07974 251823.
Our Ref: GS/kh/BG/Offshoring
15 May 2006
Sir Roy Gardner
Chief Executive
Centrica plc
Millstream
Maidenhead Road
Windsor
Berks SL4 5GD
Dear Sir Roy
BRITISH GAS OFFSHORING
It has been suggested to me that British Gas has plans to offshore hundreds, if not thousands, more jobs to India. Many of our members in the business believe that company plans are well developed. I have received reports that Indian nationals, based at the Talbot Road site, have talked to your employees and they have suggested that they are trainers learning British Gas systems which later this year will be transferred to India. I also know that there is currently a delegation visiting India, which I presume is part of this offshoring process. There is a belief that the jobs to be offshored are in addition to those announced last year. This being the case it seems that the Company will be in breach of commitments given to staff last year that only back office functions would be affected.
You will no doubt appreciate the concern being felt by your employees. I therefore trust that, by return, you will clarify the Company’s intentions. I will take this opportunity to state that the GMB is of the view that the business has long benefited from trading under the British Gas brand and as such our union believes that you have a responsibility to the British workforce.
It has been suggested that a number of new technology projects are hugely over budget. Project Jupiter, which is related to billing, by around £300 million and is still not fully operational; whilst the Hestia Project, relating to work allocation, which was itself a multi million pound investment, fails to deliver the anticipated benefits. If more jobs are to be offshored then our members will no doubt see themselves as being penalised for the apparent mismanagement of these projects.
I should also take this opportunity to advise you that I am not impressed by the management of employee relations on the staff side of British Gas. I have in my possession Company documents which refer to the monitoring of “TU activity going on at sites – particularly in relation to the GMB”. I have no doubt that the document has been drafted because British Gas Management is aware that the GMB will be vocal in its opposition to further offshoring. The GMB will resist any attempt to compromise our independence. This type of harassment of our union is utterly unacceptable. I am putting the Company on notice that if you victimise any of our representatives who are undertaking union activities then there will be a vigorous response.
I think it is unfortunate that my first correspondence with you has to be in this tone. However, it is the Company’s approach to employee relations which has got us into this situation.
I look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely
GARY SMITH
NATIONAL OFFICE
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