Indian call centre major Firstsource expands in UK

LONDON: Amidst recession and job losses, Indian call centre major Firstsource has spread cheer by announcing the creation of nearly 100 new jobs in Londonderry, making it one of the largest employers in Northern Ireland.

A Firstsource spokeswoman said today that in Northern Ireland the company has had operational centres in Belfast and Londonderry since 2006.

It now has six centres in the UK: two each in Belfast and Londonderry and one each in Middlesbrough and Cardiff, employing over 3,500 in the UK.

She said the current recruitment in Londonderry is part of the company's "seasonal ramp for a longstanding client".

The extra staff will handle calls for Sky. The company already has 1,200 employees in the city and another 800 in Belfast.

Welcoming the announcement, Foyle MP Mark Durkan said: "This is very good news at a time when there's not a lot of good news on the jobs front. It's a credit to the company, it's a credit to the local management and particularly it's a credit to the existing workforce".

He added: "It is their performance, the quality of their productivity, that has helped extend new work for other people."

From its offices in Northern Ireland, Firstsource provides help for a range of customers across the financial services, telecom and media, travel and healthcare industries in Europe, Asia and North and South America.

The company has 34 call centres worldwide and employs more than 17,000 people across four continents.

It specialises in providing outsourced services including contact centre, back-office processing and debt-collection services.