GOVERNMENT Minister Eric Pickles has suggested a Midlands council should shift jobs to South Tyneside rather than sending them to India.
Around 55 IT posts with Service Birmingham – a joint venture between Birmingham City Council and outsourcing company Capita – are set to be moved to the Indian city of Pune by the end of the year.
But Mr Pickles, the Communities and Local Government Secretary, says they could be moved to the new £10.5m BT centre on Harton Staithes in South Shields, which he visited last month.
“I was up in South Tyneside, where they are building a headquarters with BT to do the back offices of other authorities. There is enough capacity there,” he said.
“I would hope my dear chums in Birmingham will have a look at that. I think that might well offer a good solution.”
The South Tyneside centre, which is expected to create 750 jobs, was initially set up to provide business services such as ICT, human resources, customer services and payroll for the council.
It is the only partnership of its kind in the North East but now that the services are up and running, it is looking to win business from other organisations, especially cash-strapped local authorities in other parts of the UK.
