HP shelves plans to offshore DWP support roles
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HP has abandoned plans to offshore the jobs of IT support staff working on the Adams 2 contract for the Department of Work and Pensions.
The saga began in June when HP first revealed it was in talks to transfer some 200 roles based in north-east England to India to help it match the Government's demand to cut costs.
The move was met with obvious resistance from HP employees, the Public and Commercial Services Union and latterly local MPs, who highlighted the security implications of overseas workers managing a live database on 25 million citizens.
"Having discussed the proposal with our government client, we have agreed that in this instance we will continue to carry out the work in the UK," said an HP spokesman in a statement sent to The Reg.
Due to the sensitive nature of the work carried out by HP employees at the DWP, the Government had the final say on transfer of roles but the PCS also put pressure on proceedings by balloting staff on their appetite to strike.
Slightly less than half of unionised members turned out but 90 per cent of those voted for industrial action short of a strike, including working to rule and disrupting the knowledge transfer process.
Commenting on the latest development, PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "This is very good news for our members who have campaigned hard on this and been rewarded with saving their jobs.
"But it also means that the very real concerns we raised about data security have been listened to, and we are pleased that ministers have seen sense."
Employment minister Chris Grayling said he had asked contractors to "find a way to work in the UK".
"We have always been clear that we will not offshore any DWP jobs, and we are exploring how future offshoring can be minimised," he said. ®
COMMENTS
Forked tongues
"We have always been clear that we will not offshore any DWP jobs, and we are exploring how future offshoring can be minimised,"
If he meant what he said at the beginning of the sentence then there would be no need to '...minimise...'.
MPs and braincells is like matter/anti-matter - the two cannot co-exist within the same body
How about the total lunacy of paying people in working in another country money to administer a system for paying people in the UK bennies cos they can't get work. You have to have no rational thinking capability whatsoever to even think that is not mad.
And oh yeah - while I'm ranting how about those banks eh - 2019 before they have to "reform" but everyone else has to be made redundant, pay more VAT, lose their pension right now and not a moment later.
If MPs were any further removed from humanity they would have to leave the planet.
Now - how much payload is available on the next Reg space project and can it be fired directly at the sun?
Weasel Words
Only because the HP jobs aren't technically DWP jobs anymore.
DWP IT jobs ---------> Privatised HP jobs ---------> Indian Jobs = No Offshored DWP Jobs.
Politicians are Weasels
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