Qantas outsources IT work to India

Melbourne, Oct 1: The Australian state-owned carrier Qantas has added to the woes of the anti-outsourcing trade unions by announcing a deal to send ''high-tech'' information technology projects to India.

Qantas is believed to have short-listed two Indian IT multinationals Tata Consulting Services and Satyam for the IT work which may affect up to 300 Australian workers' jobs.

''The review has included a short-listing of two outsource providers in India,'' a Qantas spokesperson has said in a statement.

''The providers involved in the tender process have a capability and depth of expertise that we can no longer source in Australia,'' she further said.

''No decisions have been made at this stage,'' Qantas spokesperson however clarified.

The announcement has come close on the heels of National Australia Bank's decision to move 70 jobs to India. The largest Australian bank had made this announcement late on Friday.

Another major bank Westpac has also attracted its own share of public outcry for its widely reported plan to public shift the jobs of 485 workers from Sydney to Bangalore in India.

The Australian carrier, also known as the ''flying kangaroo'' for its red emblem of the marsupial, has cited lack of high-tech expertise in Australia for moving the computer systems maintenance work to India.

Once review of the maintenance jobs is complete, according to the Fairfax newspapers, Qantas would make the formal announcement.

Qantas is reviewing, according to Sydney Morning Herald, ''internet operation that deals with holiday bookings, frequent-flyer programs, operational logistics, crew and engineering operations, and financial and payroll systems''.

The news has already attracted immediate criticism from the Australian Services Union (ASU) which has also nailed Qantas for employing an Indian IT firm and for bringing in 30 Indian workers to undertake IT project in Sydney.

''To say there are not the skills here already is crap. They are asking our people how to do it,'' ASU Assistant National Secretary Linda White was quoted by SMH as saying.

''It is also completely wrong for them to say they cannot source the levels of IT expertise they need in Australia. It is complete spin because they currently have 830 people already doing the job, Linda White further said.

''To say otherwise is an insult to the Australian university system that is educating these people,'' Australian union official added.

UNI