US anti-outsourcing Bill gets more backing

A US Congress Bill that bars US companies outsourcing call centre jobs from receiving federal grants and loans, now has more than 100 co-sponsors, its promoter has said, The Indian Express reveals.

The US Call Centre and Consumer Protection Act, introduced in the US House of Representatives by congressman Tim Bishop, now has as many as 106 lawmakers as its co-sponsors.

In a statement, Bishop said he hoped this would compel a hearing on the legislation in the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

The Act, if passed by the Congress and signed into law, would require the US Department of Labour to track firms that move call centre jobs overseas; the firms would then become ineligible for any direct or indirect federal loans or loan guarantees for five years, ManoramaOnline.com explains.

“The provision is partially a response to the practice of companies taking millions in incentives from local taxpayers to open call centres in the US, only to offshore their operations a short time later and leave local communities devastated and still paying the bill,” Bishop said.

The Bill also requires overseas call centre employees to disclose their location to US consumers and gives customers the right to be transferred to a US-based call centre upon request.