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Ntl outsourcing swansea tsb to IBM
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Old 17-06-2004, 12:37   #16
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Re: Ntl outsourcing swansea tsb to IBM

Quote:
Originally Posted by jackblack1970
If our contacts are with Manpower, what protection do we have from IBM cutting staff or getting rid of staff that don't conform (rebellious, union minded, sick etc) without notice?
You'll get the same protection with regards to employment as we did in Newport when we were outsourced to Fujitsu

http://www.dti.gov.uk/er/individual/tupe-pl699a.htm
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Old 17-06-2004, 12:40   #17
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Re: Ntl outsourcing swansea tsb to IBM

The TSB has no union representation; the problem with the transfer is that NTL transfers the contacts to IBM who on the same day transfers the contracts to manpower. While contracts remain intact they will be with Manpower and not IBM, Manpower are responsible for supplying numbers but I would imagine the numbers would be up to IBM.
If IBM say they want to cut numbers by 50 I would imagine that Manpower will just make staff redundant... probably at the lowest payout possible.

As far as I am concerned employment agencies are used so that staffing levels can be manipulated without any unfortunate complicationsâ↚¬Â¦ like redundancy payouts etc.

Hope I am wrong, but I doubt it!
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Old 17-06-2004, 12:45   #18
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Re: Ntl outsourcing swansea tsb to IBM

All I know is it feels like a kick in the teeth.
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Old 17-06-2004, 12:51   #19
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Re: Ntl outsourcing swansea tsb to IBM

Sorry to moan, but I really think a little consideration is needed before members post things like this. Not all staff may know about these things, and to hear it on a forum like this can be a little devastating. How about in future, whoever finds out info like this checks with a mod/admin guy before posting. At least then the mod/admin can check with an employee behind the forum scene to see if it's been officially announced before publishing it here....
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Old 17-06-2004, 13:02   #20
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Re: Ntl outsourcing swansea tsb to IBM

and those of us who have worked for manpower before know what they are like.

they had the contract in the Pembroke Dock call centre for ITV digital
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Old 17-06-2004, 13:34   #21
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Re: Ntl outsourcing swansea tsb to IBM

I currently work for manpower at a little company called EDS.
Manpower arent that bad really, round here they do a good job.

Whats that thing called......tupe???? aint worth the paper its written on.
Manpower now has some good staff benefits, and I dont object to working for them.

All I can say is good luck guys, it could be worse, at elast they havent outsourced to Capita, then you would all be on the dole.
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Old 17-06-2004, 13:37   #22
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Re: Ntl outsourcing swansea tsb to IBM

Quote:
Originally Posted by jackblack1970
If our contacts are with Manpower, what protection do we have from IBM cutting staff or getting rid of staff that don't conform (rebellious, union minded, sick etc) without notice?

I cant speak for individual contracts, but Manpower did a scheme with my employment as a new starter, 3months probabtion then long term contract. After 3 months they had to give me a months notice of termination.
No matter what people tell you, there are employment laws and all agencies have to obey these laws.
I think personally this will be a good move, as it will get those few bad seeds out of there, improving the image and quality to all customers. This will directly benefit the employees too.
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Old 17-06-2004, 13:45   #23
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Re: Ntl outsourcing swansea tsb to IBM

Quote:
Originally Posted by orangebird
Sorry to moan, but I really think a little consideration is needed before members post things like this. Not all staff may know about these things, and to hear it on a forum like this can be a little devastating. How about in future, whoever finds out info like this checks with a mod/admin guy before posting. At least then the mod/admin can check with an employee behind the forum scene to see if it's been officially announced before publishing it here....
Everyone in the TSB knew already, and since it only effects them I don't see posting it as a problem
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Old 17-06-2004, 13:49   #24
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Re: Ntl outsourcing swansea tsb to IBM

Quote:
Originally Posted by nostra
and those of us who have worked for manpower before know what they are like.

they had the contract in the Pembroke Dock call centre for ITV digital
I know a couple of companies who looked at moving down there and declined due to the fact that Manpower would handle all the staffing issues.

Having said that British Gas use Blue Arrow and as someone else has said, ntl use Fujitsu in Newport so its not uncommon these days.
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Old 17-06-2004, 14:02   #25
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Re: Ntl outsourcing swansea tsb to IBM

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Originally Posted by huxleypiguk
I know a couple of companies who looked at moving down there and declined due to the fact that Manpower would handle all the staffing issues.

Having said that British Gas use Blue Arrow and as someone else has said, ntl use Fujitsu in Newport so its not uncommon these days.
Thats right... in the end the council took the call centres back off Manpower (or something along those lines)

there are now a couple of contracts going on there now such as the Department of work and pensions
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Old 17-06-2004, 14:03   #26
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Re: Ntl outsourcing swansea tsb to IBM

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Originally Posted by 50420
hi all....

any comments or opinions on this....
http://www.ntl.com/mediacentre/press/display.asp?id=335

apparently staff at the swansea callcentre were today briefed that as from later this year....september i think it was??? the callcentre will be outsourced to IBM...and IBM will be outsourcing the staffing to Manpower.

good or bad????

I like the "Manpower" bit, they seem to have the lowest paid jobs that I have ever seen.

As anyone else noticed the same about them!
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Old 17-06-2004, 14:07   #27
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Re: Ntl outsourcing swansea tsb to IBM

yes manpower used to pay £5.15 an hour down at the ITV Digital call centre

which was very low on comparison to the ITV digital plymouth call centre which as far as i am aware was directly employed by ITV digital...

ntl has history with manpower anyway... when itv digital collapsed ntl purchased the subscriber list off itv digital and then employeed the ex-employees there through manpower to contact itv dig customers to sell them ntl products as a replacement
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Old 18-06-2004, 13:46   #28
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Re: Ntl outsourcing swansea tsb to IBM

This story has made it to the Register: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/06...tsourcing_ibm/

I dunno myself if this is going to make any difference to customer service. I suspect not. Service standards may be laid down in the new IBM contract, but bottom line is that IBM will be wanting to see a profit, so they are gonna want to do it as cheap as possible.

Although existing staff should have the same terms of employment under TUPE, I can see changes coming. New staff will porbably have lesser terms, and at some stage in the future the few remaining old ntl staff will be asked to move to new contract terms that match the later contracts issued to new joiners. There may be a little financial compensation, but what about things like pension plans, discounted ntl services and other benefits that ntl staff might currently enjoy.

However of biggest concern is that if new staff are on lesser salaries, so IBM can make a profit, the calibre of staff being hired may well also drop. That means worse rather than better standards.
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Old 18-06-2004, 17:34   #29
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Thumbs up Re: Ntl outsourcing swansea tsb to IBM

Quote:
Originally Posted by MovedGoalPosts
....bottom line is that IBM will be wanting to see a profit, so they are gonna want to do it as cheap as possible.
I think you'll find that IBM will handle things in a far more proffessional and efficient manner, which in turn should cost less. IBM employ (via Manpower) 175,000 call centre employees world wide on a permenant basis, and this experience will soon be reflected in a change (hopefully for the positive) to the customer and his experience in dealing with NTLI. Better tech support management = happier, more productive and better trained staff = happier customer base. IBM will be answerable to NTLI so the customer experience, if it does not improve may see the contract with them nullified.

I have to say this seems like a positive step, one I'm quite happy about, but as litany of cliches and counter cliches go, "Que Sera Sera", "Proof is in the pooding" etc.... We'll just have to "suck it and see".

*fingers crossed*
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Old 19-06-2004, 00:06   #30
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Re: Ntl outsourcing swansea tsb to IBM

Hi A=MH² & to the forum.

I do hope your right as that will be good for both the staff and customers, whcih ultimately benefits ntl and IBM.

I'm perhaps a little cynical due to my only experience of "outsourcing" and TUPE type transfers of staff - a local authority Architect Surveyors and Maintenance staffing including support line for building tenants and occupiers - to a large multinational service contract provider (you name it they have the finger in the pie somewhere - rail maintenance - tube - local government - hospitals - I could go on). The bottom line was cost - do it cheaper so that the parent company could see a profit. Doing the job professionally went out the window. It was no longer a case of how long do you need to do this properly, i.e. the staff dirve the job and resources based on their experience, just you have x hours allowed and that's it, driven by the accountants. If you didn't get the job done in that time, regardless or extenuating cirumstances you were in line for the chop. Problem is to get is done in time, you cut corners, and then had to take the blame when it fell apart on site (literally) cos the necessary bases weren't covered.

As for recruiting via an agency, does that gurantee better staff quality. I doubt it, more it's lining the pockets through the fees payable of yet somebody else, rather than investing in the actual support system's facilities and staff directly operating it.

We wait and see whether IBM will, with their vast experience actually resource it properly.
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