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THE COMPANY THAT operates Irish Water’s 24/7 call centre in Cork has been awarded a major customer service contract with Sky.
Abtran said the contract will allow for the recruitment of 130 new staff, adding to its workforce of over 2,000 in Cork and Dublin.
“As a growing business, our customer contact centres play an integral role in meeting customer requirements,” said JD Buckley, the managing director of Sky Ireland.
“We’re really pleased to continue our growth and development through this partnership with Abtran, which further adds to our strong commitment to provide the highest standards of service for all of our customers throughout Ireland,” he added.
Controversy
The Cork-based company, which was founded in 1997, has handled calls for Irish Water since 2013.
Last week, Catherine Murphy TD claimed former environment minister Phil Hogan had lobbied for Abtran to be awarded the €50 million state contract after receiving a “fairly informal” email referring to him as “Phil”.
Deputy Murphy claimed that Abtran was awarded the “lucrative contract” despite “high-profile failings” when the company operated call centres for the local property tax and educational grant service Susi.
The Kildare North TD also alleged that a state investment vehicle made an investment of an undisclosed sum in Abtran in late 2015.
Irish Water has denied the claims, saying the contract fully complies with procurement guidelines.
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Irish water = click bait
At the least the company has business to keep going when irish water tanks soon.
Who gives a sh!t if it’s click bait. You clicked it.
Oh dear, looks like the establishment don’t like it if you go against them. Former garda John Wilson, the whistleblower of the penalty points system, is to be prosecuted for his role in a water-charge protest.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/garda-whistleblower-wilson-to-be-prosecuted-379264.html
That’s what these fascists do when you illuminate their wrongdoing, Clare Daly had a similar experience, they try to villainise you.
Well it fails when they leak a story that she was caught for drink driving only for it to be completely false. She will sail through the elections, no better woman.
Yep, it was an epic fail, it increased her popularity and as you say she should be a shoe in to hold onto her seat.
She didn’t even need that incident to boost her support, she is an excellent politician. She is top of my list for an Independent.
She is in my constituency and it is clearly & visibly evident how hard she works. On the other hand you only see James Reilly whenever there is an election coming up.
This is hardly news, Abtran have been acting as the Sky call centre for years, one of their buildings is dedicated almost entirely to Sky alone…
Just sales only though and outbound campaigns, this is a little bit different.
That reminds me, I must ring and cancel my sky package.
Abtran were in the news last week. Phill Hogan comes to mind. Did Cathrine Murphy of the Social Democrats expose some “digout” or similar?
My Sky cancellation is forthwith.
Well you’re not having TV because Virgin and eir use them too. Talk about stupid arguments/
Not Trinity, ever heard of MOBDRO. No need for the ones you mention
Talk about Stupid?
Mobdro is shite and unreliable
Was gonna say same thing but seems they now have a contract for the customer service dept as well.. God help the ppl that work there, its pure torture in Abtran & min wage with absolutely no benefits like pension health Insurance etc… I imagine they don’t even have sick pay now…
I notice the new IW HQ on Stephens Green is near completion.. I’m sure no signs will be erected till after the election because the Government don’t want to remind people why they should be voted out.. Not only is it a reminder of yet another double tax but it was built by Bernard McNamara who went bankrupt over a 1.2 billion debt that the taxpayer took a hit on..
What building at Stephens Green? Ervia already own the building on Foley St and they have space in 2 other buildings on Talbot St/Amiens St leased out…they’re not relocating to the other side of town!
Well its been well reported that IW are moving into that building when it’s completed. . DOB’s wife owns the building and McNamara was given the job of redeveloping the site
Reported by who/where?
@cosmo that’s only a quintessence that dob and McNarmra are involved. The Gardai should be going after people how don’t pay there TV linence not government friendly business people.
Gonna need new jobs soon so sky is a backup plan
Do you honestly think IW is going? Utterly deluded
We reject sky…See you all at the spire!!
Now let’s wait for someone to mention a politician…..
So nobody who owns a dish will be welcome at protests from now on?
Neal. No but if you have Sky tell them you are not happy.
Sky have been using Sierra for years, as have NTL/UPC/Virgin…Sierra install water meters, Should you cancel your TV because of that?
@not neo, you forgot eircom
Irish water = corrupt, won’t be paying either
Another in house job for fat cats and Endas bed buddies… Another way for Irish water to gain access for payments
0818. Should be cheaper to call then from Ireland when you’re on hold for 25 minutes.
So Abtran working conditions for its call centre staff.
What is the starting wage?
Is it an abusive, exploitative employer like Amazon where you are fired if you are sick?
So the staff in Dublin get all the benefits and perks while the staff in Cork get min wage? I worked in the one in Dublin during college and I genuinely enjoyed it.
It’s a lot worse than amazon dude. Outsourcers generally are. Understaffed and under resourced, call waiting times in hours not minutes , management being the least qualified on earth…. Basically a sweatshop…Imagine the kinda jobs at a company where they outbid locations in India and The Philippines.. …Or as deh guberment call them.. “high tech service industry” jobs…
Ah yes… An internship at a call center… Oh and lets not forget SUSI and the Property Tax contracts awarded to Abtran which between people not getting grants nearly a year later and credit card details taking a walk, descended into farce …. I wonder which minister lobbied Sky on behalf of these cowboys and what’s the real story here… Most likely a grant or tax break that would cover multiples of the operational costs over the next 20 years.
Yes, pretty close to that.
What’s on it for me.
Sky have been working with Abtran for years, far longer than Irish Water. Irrelevant connection.
UPC for me so.
UPC have used Abtran. UPC also use Sierra to install their equipment, to maintain their equipment and for service calls. Sierra install water meters to. No TV for you.
I was just looking at the job losses over the last while- Xtravision – Boyers – Clearys – C&C – Roche Ireland -Liberty Insurance – Supervalue Carlow -Wonga Dublin – Bose Monaghan – Tesco Ireland – Bewleys etc.
And now I believe there are other major losses looming but Bruton and Coveney are holding back the bad news until after the General Election. Nothing new in this of course, he held off telling the people of Waterford about the 200 jobs being axed at Bausch & lomb before the last local Elections.
How long before sky buyout IW ?
Should not be allowed to call these “JOBS”
No contract, min wage, no benefits, crap hours, no prospects, no future, no chance of getting a credit union loan let alone a mortgage working for these slave drivers . It makes my blood boil when I hear them call these “jobs”, the week they announced 1000 jobs in Apple my son and 40 others were let go with 10min to clear there desks, a further 80 were let go from the same department (sales) since
At least Sky ate keeping their call centres in Ireland. Unlike Virgin Media who outsourced to the Philippines where a grasp of the English language isn’t a requirement. The stress of calling their care line is enough to make me want to move across to Sky.
Old news, heard about this last weekend
Theyl be losing the IW contract shortly.
Can we refuse to pay both bills now when we call the operator?
Good man Phil.
Hogan told Village in 2011 that he hoped to be Minister for the Environment after the General Election. In the run up to the election he announced that he would shut down the Moriarty Tribunal when he got into power. Hogan was a witness at the Moriarty tribunal. Fine Gael grandee, Mark FitzGerald, told the tribunal that Hogan was at a meeting with himself and Denis O’Brien in 1995 at which the mobile phone licence was discussed. Hogan denied this at the tribunal. Clearly it was dubious for a witness to the tribunal, one who comes out of it badly, to announce he intends to shut it down.
http://www.villagemagazine.ie/index.php/2012/11/profile-big-man-hogan-digs/
Charging for Water and Sky, whatever next!
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