ATA reaffirms support for anti-offshoring Bill, calls for amendments

Australia’s peak Contact Centre body the ATA has reaffirmed its support for Senator Steve Fielding’s proposed anti-offshoring legislation.

The ATA has also called for further amendments made to the proposed Keeping Jobs from Going Offshore (Protection of Personal Information) Bill 2009, to ensure that any organisations using offshore contact centres be accredited under the Australian Contact Centre Standards and Accreditation (CCSA) program. The Bill, to be introduced by the Family First Party, seeks to stop the offshoring of contact centre jobs, as well as to make it harder for offshore operations to access the private information of Australian consumers.

ATA CEO Michael Meredith said the legislation will greatly benefit the local contact centre industry and ensure Australia maintains its reputation in the region as a location of customer contact excellence. However, Meredith also said amendments in the future to ensure adherence to the CCSA will better protect Australians in instances where companies may need to implement a dual onshore/offshore model. “The ATA has had the opportunity to provide feedback on the Bill and believes it can deliver a workable solution to ensure the preservation and continued support for our strong and thriving domestic contact centre industry, as well as not stifling the necessary growth and expansion for domestic operators to include international locations in their business model”, he said.
From CallCentres.net