British Telecom could be hit by strikes if it persists in transferring call-centre jobs to India or other parts of Asia, a big British labour union warned on Monday.The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said up to 200,000 jobs in British call centres could be ‘shipped abroad’ over the next five to 10 years, hurting poor areas of Britain where call-centres are often based. British Telecom, the nation’s premier telecoms provider, triggered controversy earlier this year when it announced plans to create 2,200 customer service jobs in Bangalore in a bid to save money.At its annual conference at Bournemouth, in the South of England, the CWU claimed that workers in Indian call-centres were paid 80 pence an hour compared with six pounds an hour in Britain.“It is crude exploitation and it is simply about making more profits,” said Mark Taggart, a member of the CWU executive. “Most companies are currently turning to India — but it could soon be Malaysia or China. We will continue to protest and if necessary we will take strike action,” he added. Jeannie Drake, the union’s deputy general secretary, said that if British Telecom announced further plans to move call centre jobs to India, a strike ballot would be called.
