A legislation has been introduced in the Congress that would require call centre employees overseas to disclose their location and give customers a right to ask to transfer their call to a service agent in the US.

Introduced by Senator Sherrod Brown from Ohio, the legislation also proposes to create a public list of companies that would outsource call centre jobs and give preference in federal contracts to companies that haven&#39;t shipped these jobs overseas.

The bill also guarantees US customers the right to ask to transfer their call to a customer service agent who is physically located in the US.

For far too long, US trade and tax policy have encouraged a corporate business model that shuts down operations in Ohio, cashes in on a tax credit at the expense of working Americans, and ships production to Reynosa, Mexico or Wuhan and China, he said.

&quot;Jobs at call centres are some of the most vulnerable to offshoring. Too many companies have packed up their call centres in Ohio and across the country, and moved to India or Mexico,&quot; he said.

Brown said the constant threat of outsourcing hangs over workers like Renee Rouser of Youngstown, who he talked with last week. Renee has worked at a Youngstown call centre for 13 years and knows call centre jobs are where people build careers.

&quot;So many companies wouldn&#39;t be able to function without their customer service staff. Ohio workers like Renee contribute to their businesses and bring ideas to make it work better. We need to value their contributions ? not end their careers and ship their jobs overseas,&quot; Brown said.

According to a study by the Communications Workers of America, the largest communications and media labour union in the US, India and the Philippines are the top two destinations for US companies off-shoring call centre jobs.

American companies also have opened call centres in countries including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, China and Mexico, the study noted.

The bill also guarantees US customers the right to ask to transfer their call to a customer service agent who is physically located in the US

A legislation has been introduced in the Congress that would require call centre employees overseas to disclose their location and give customers a right to ask to transfer their call to a service agent in the US. Introduced by Senator Sherrod Brown from Ohio, the legislation also proposes to create a public list of companies that would outsource call centre jobs and give preference in federal contracts to companies that haven't shipped these jobs overseas. The bill also guarantees US customers the right to ask to transfer their call to a customer service agent who is physically located in the US. For far too long, US trade and tax policy have encouraged a corporate business model that shuts down operations in Ohio, cashes in on a tax credit at the expense of working Americans, and ships production to Reynosa, Mexico or Wuhan and China, he said. "Jobs at call centres are some of the most vulnerable to offshoring. Too many companies have packed up their call centres in Ohio and across the country, and moved to India or Mexico," he said. Brown said the constant threat of outsourcing hangs over workers like Renee Rouser of Youngstown, who he talked with last week. Renee has worked at a Youngstown call centre for 13 years and knows call centre jobs are where people build careers. "So many companies wouldn't be able to function without their customer service staff. Ohio workers like Renee contribute to their businesses and bring ideas to make it work better. We need to value their contributions ? not end their careers and ship their jobs overseas," Brown said. According to a study by the Communications Workers of America, the largest communications and media labour union in the US, India and the Philippines are the top two destinations for US companies off-shoring call centre jobs. American companies also have opened call centres in countries including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, China and Mexico, the study noted.

New US outsourcing bill puts Indian call centre jobs in firing line

A bipartisan Bill was on Thursday reintroduced in the US Congress to make companies that move call centres overseas ineligible for grants or guaranteed loans from the government, a move aimed at curbing the transfer of jobs to nations like India.

Introduced by Congressmen Gene Green from the Democratic Party and Republican David McKinley, the US Call Center and Consumer Protection Act would deter companies from shipping American jobs overseas and incentivise them to locate in the US by creating a public list of &quot;bad actors&quot;, consisting of those that shipped all or most of their service work overseas.

&quot;Being on the list would make these actors ineligible for federal grants or guaranteed loans, would require overseas call centres to disclose their locations to customers, and would require them to comply with US consumers&#39; request to be transferred to a service agent physically located in the US,&quot; the two lawmakers said.

The legislation is similar to a bill introduced in 2013 that would have required disclosure of a call centre location to consumers, along with the option to transfer to a domestic call centre.

Green said there are 54,000 call centre jobs in the Greater Houston area alone and 2.5 million nationwide. &quot;It is important that American workers continue to have access to good service sector jobs and receive a livable wage,&quot; he said.

&quot;Unfortunately, we have seen call centre jobs moved overseas to India, the Philippines, and other countries. This bipartisan legislation will protect call centre workers in Texas and throughout the country, and American consumers from unfair treatment,&quot; he added.

In the last decade, there has been an increase in companies relocating their call centres overseas where foreign workers are often exposed to dismal labour conditions and paid cheaper wages, the Congressmen said.

At the same time, communities across the country have committed millions in taxpayer dollars to fund incentives for companies to bring jobs to their neighbourhoods, but have been left empty-handed, they observed.

&quot;Our number one priority in Congress is protecting and creating American jobs,&quot; said McKinley.

&quot;Plain and simple, we should not be rewarding companies for moving jobs offshore. This bill does not mandate that companies keep call centres here in America, but simply says if you move call centre jobs offshore, you don&#39;t receive funding from the government. This should be common sense,&quot; he said.

(PTI)

A bipartisan Bill was reintroduced in the US Congress to make companies that move call centres overseas ineligible for grants

A bipartisan Bill was on Thursday reintroduced in the US Congress to make companies that move call centres overseas ineligible for grants or guaranteed loans from the government, a move aimed at curbing the transfer of jobs to nations like India. Introduced by Congressmen Gene Green from the Democratic Party and Republican David McKinley, the US Call Center and Consumer Protection Act would deter companies from shipping American jobs overseas and incentivise them to locate in the US by creating a public list of "bad actors", consisting of those that shipped all or most of their service work overseas. "Being on the list would make these actors ineligible for federal grants or guaranteed loans, would require overseas call centres to disclose their locations to customers, and would require them to comply with US consumers' request to be transferred to a service agent physically located in the US," the two lawmakers said. The legislation is similar to a bill introduced in 2013 that would have required disclosure of a call centre location to consumers, along with the option to transfer to a domestic call centre. Green said there are 54,000 call centre jobs in the Greater Houston area alone and 2.5 million nationwide. "It is important that American workers continue to have access to good service sector jobs and receive a livable wage," he said. "Unfortunately, we have seen call centre jobs moved overseas to India, the Philippines, and other countries. This bipartisan legislation will protect call centre workers in Texas and throughout the country, and American consumers from unfair treatment," he added. In the last decade, there has been an increase in companies relocating their call centres overseas where foreign workers are often exposed to dismal labour conditions and paid cheaper wages, the Congressmen said. At the same time, communities across the country have committed millions in taxpayer dollars to fund incentives for companies to bring jobs to their neighbourhoods, but have been left empty-handed, they observed. "Our number one priority in Congress is protecting and creating American jobs," said McKinley. "Plain and simple, we should not be rewarding companies for moving jobs offshore. This bill does not mandate that companies keep call centres here in America, but simply says if you move call centre jobs offshore, you don't receive funding from the government. This should be common sense," he said. (PTI)

Unfortunately, we have seen call centre jobs moved to India: US Congressman Gene Green

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New US outsourcing bill puts Indian call centre jobs in firing line

Unfortunately, we have seen call centre jobs moved to India: US Congressman Gene Green