British MPs to oppose rail inquiries outsourcing to India

Tuesday, 11 November 2003, 20:30 IST
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LONDON: Members of Parliament in Britain are set to oppose the move to outsource National Rail inquiries to Bangalore. Train operators are expected to come under fire at a House of Commons committee hearing Wednesday amid evidence that they are trying to move National Rail Enquiries overseas, despite reservations among some companies bidding for the service contract. The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) believes that outsourcing to India could save them £10 million a year. But several bidders have made it clear that quality could be affected and they would prefer to keep the operation in Britain. The move to go offshore is likely to be questioned by members of the transport select committee, chaired by Labour's Gwyneth Dunwoody. The decision to consider relocating National Rail Enquiries is said to have resulted from a proposal floated by BT nearly 12 months ago. It was rejected then but ATOC put it back on the agenda, having been told that it can make huge savings. The Guardian reported that four companies have been shortlisted, including BT, FirstGroup and Serco, which already provide the service. The identity of the fourth company is not known. They have been told to come up with options, including one that is "UK-compliant", which would keep all call operations in Britain. But this, insiders told The Guardian, has been included in case a legal challenge or political intervention makes a move overseas impossible. Some of those shortlisted have told the Guardian privately they are opposed to the outsourcing, because of quality and because they do not want to close their British call centres and make job cuts at facilities that work very well. "Our experience is that moving back office work to India can work very well," one contender told the paper. "But it isn't as effective when you move customer facing operations, which involve dealing with complex inquiries from the public." An insider told the paper that ATOC had been seduced by strong lobbying from BT to opt for a move to Bangalore, India's tech capital. National Rail Enquiries receives 60 million calls a year, which are answered by 1,700 operators in Cardiff, Derby, Newcastle and Plymouth. An ATOC spokesman said location was "a matter for our suppliers" but bidders claim the association has been pushing aggressively behind the scenes for an overseas move. Documents leaked to the Guardian earlier this year revealed BT had delivered a presentation and a risk assessment to ATOC's board detailing the attraction of Indian call centres. Reports say that a handful of operators in Bangalore already answer calls to the inquiry line on a trial basis.
Source: IANS
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