300 workers latest cutback casualties

More than 300 jobs are expected to be lost under plans by Telstra to relocate some services to India as well as other offshore locations.

The company is intending to outsource some 160 jobs to India, with another 146 contractor positions also forecasted to go abroad.

The company says the cuts are mainly administrative roles from various branches in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide.

The Communication Workers Union said it has sought a meeting with Telstra to urgently review the plans, with union official Burt Blackburne declaring the union will fight to keep the jobs in Australia.

The announcement by Telstra comes just as UK bank Santandar closes its Indian call centres following complaints from customers.

The UK's third largest bank, which is owned by Spanish parent Banco Santander, said the move had created 500 new jobs, with all calls to now be dealt with by staff in Britain.

The bank said the decision was taken following feedback from customers who said dealing with an offshore call centre was 'a frustration that can lead to dissatisfaction'.

Talent2’s recent APAC Market Pulse Study of 576 senior HR and C-suite executives from Australia, China, Singapore and Hong Kong found that common drawbacks associated with outsourcing included lack of detailed business knowledge by external sources, lack of consistency and concerns over security and confidentiality.

Indeed 56% of surveyed companies acknowledged that service delivery at their outsourced centres has been inconsistent.