The Scottish Trades Union Congress is working to strengthen
the commitment of call centre employers to Scotland in the face
of continuing debate about the transfer of call centre jobs abroad.
So strong is the STUC's desire to maintain the country's strong
showing in the provision of call centre services that it has a
adopted a Call Centre Strategy for Scotland aimed a highlighting
the on-going benefits to companies of continuing to invest and
base their operations in Scotland.
The STUC is concerned to counter the apparent belief in
certain sections of industry and government that off-shoring
is an inevitable, unbeatable development. The Call Centre Strategy
states:
"The STUC believes that the Scottish Executive can and should
act now to help ensure that call centre jobs in Scotland are improved
and sustained. The call centre industry provides important jobs
often in areas that have been ravaged by the decline in manufacturing.
A major concern is that the financial services sector, which has
driven recent growth in Scotland, is under particular threat from
future outsourcing".
Stephen Boyd, assistant secretary at the STUC, speaking at a
meeting of Sky Dunfermline branch members at the end of April,
underlined the importance of call centre employment to the Scottish
economy. "Call centres are now the biggest source of private
sector employment in the central Scottish belt", he said
"and the STUC is committed to doing all it can to ensure
that call centre employment remains a growth industry in Scotland".
Earlier this year the STUC reported that there were 290 call
centres in Scotland employing 56,000 people or 2.3% of the working
population making the sector "larger than traditional employment
in mining, energy and water combined."
