BT and Connect have outsourcing love-in

BT and communications trade union Connect have today announced an agreement to safeguard all jobs if the telco decides to undertake any more outsourcing.

The agreement will put an end to compulsory redundancies in the event BT workers see their jobs sent elsewhere; guarantee workers' will move to jobs at the same level as their previous positions and ensure that any decision to outsource will only be taken after consultation with the union.

Sarah Ward, campaigns and media manager for Connect, told silicon.com that while call centre outsourcing often steals the headlines, Connect's members, which have a large software development presence, are among those who are confronting the possibility of seeing their jobs move abroad and were keen to see such an agreement in place.

A BT spokesman said the deal represents a "positive and pragmatic" approach to the issue of outsourcing and takes account of commercial realities.

The agreement covers all BT staff who are members of Connect – chiefly those of a professional or managerial grade – and its effects are already being felt in BT Exact. Pat Mulligan, national officer at Connect, told silicon.com that BT had agreed to enter into consultation with the union before any outsourcing decisions were made and that Connect would be undertaking quarterly reviews to track any individuals who had seen their jobs outsourced.

Connect will also be checking to see that the details of the agreement are understood by board members and will be keeping an eye on BT to make sure it lives up to its side of the agreement in practice.

The deal is the first of its kind and may lead the way for big companies looking to make outsourcing more palatable to employees and the public alike.

The agreement will equally oblige BT to pursue a policy of social responsibility towards its workers in the developing world and work with the trade unions of its overseas staff.

Connect's Ward said that the agreement had set a standard for others to follow: "We've drawn a line in the sand – this is the minimum acceptable standard people should be adhering to. People should be aspiring to this", she said.

BT's spokesman said that while the telco had no new outsourcing or offshoring plans under discussion, the company couldn't rule it out in the future.