STAFF at a British Telecom call centre in Blackburn will stage a lunchtime demonstration over the company's plans to create call centres in India.

The protest, part of a national day of action by the Communication Workers' Union (CWU), will last from 11.30am to 2pm tomorrow outside the Jubilee Street centre.

The union calls the move to create two new directory enquiries centres on the subcontinent "the tip of an iceberg" and is refusing to rule out full-scale industrial action if BT does not reconsider.

The company has 104 call centres in Britain, which it plans to combine into 31 large 'next generation' sites during the next 12 months.

The Blackburn centre, where BT employs about 200 people, deals with billing, repairs and operator services.

The new centres, in Bangalore and New Delhi, will employ 500 people this month, rising to 2,200 by April 2004.

BT says the move is necessary if it is to remain competitive following deregulation.

CWU East Lancashire Amalgamated Branch secretary Steve Large said: "BT is a company which derives its profits from UK customers and it has a duty to support the UK economy.

"Many of BT's call centres are in regeneration areas like Blackburn which really need jobs and we're worried this could be the tip of an iceberg and set a precedent which would force many other call centres to relocate.

"We have looked at industrial action, but we want to give BT an opportunity, so for now we will be asking our members to come out in their lunch breaks."

BT stressed no jobs in Blackburn would be affected by the new call centres but said it would look at opening more operations in India, subject to strict criteria.

"No single BT permanent job will be cut as a result of setting up centres in India", BT retail chief executive Pierre Danon said.

"We have also pledged to agency people working on directory enquiries that none of their contracts will be terminated. For future work moved to India we will make every effort to meet necessary reductions in agency posts through natural wastage."

The union plans to write to Blackburn MP Jack Straw and the East Lancashire Partnership (ELP) to raise its concerns.

ELP chief executive Dennis Taylor said: "We share the deep concern felt by the BT staff in Blackburn.

"A decision to move jobs to India would undermine the work that has gone into securing better-paid and higher-skilled jobs for Blackburn and east Lancashire."

Blackburn MP and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said: "I am very happy to talk to the CWU and see what I can do."