From Our ABC .....

Westpac outsources 77 Adelaide jobs to India

A major investment company owned by Westpac has denied that the outsourcing of more than 70 South Australian jobs to India is a cost-cutting exercise.

The BT Financial Group argues the redundancies are aimed at improving customer service.

Workers at the BT office at Bedford Park, in Adelaide's south, were told yesterday that 77 administration jobs would go offshore.

BT spokeswoman Karen Barrett says the company wants to redeploy some workers within the company, and also to its parent company, Westpac.

"We're looking at this as a redeployment program, it is not a retrenchment exercise," she said.

"We've established a very strong redeployment program so that we can retain the knowledge and the talents of these people and put them in positions within BT and within Westpac."

But she admits some workers will miss out.

She denies the redundancies are part of a cost cutting exercise, and says the company wants to improve customer service.

"This is not about cost, it's about improving customer service," she said.

Finance Sector Union spokesman Paul Schroder is unconvinced.

"This is simply spin on the part of the bank," he said.

"They are doing this because it is cheaper to do it in India."

The union says BT has offered some workers $2,000 to help train their Indian
replacements.