Trade and Industry secretary Patricia Hewitt is to defend the UK's call centre industry at a private meeting with union leaders and key figures in the industry, revealed a report.
It said Hewitt would predict growth for the industry within the UK, despite recent high-profile moves of call centre jobs to India.
According to the report, Hewitt will express confidence that the number of jobs in call centres within the UK will grow from its current level of 400,000.
She will also warn that it would be wrong to jeopardise trade with India, where the UK currently exports goods worth £2.5bn, in an attempt to end the offshoring trend, revealed the report.
The meeting will be used to help shape the future of the call centre industry in the UK, and to try to make it more competitive.
According to the report, the unions are likely to argue that offshoring is a big problem for the industry and they may call for an independent commission.
