Plans by British Telecom to return 2,000 contact center jobs to the UK from India has hit a snag over proposed working hours.

The return to the UK would involve British agents changing their work patterns to include more shifts that run through the night. The Communications Workers Union (CWU) is preparing to start discussions about the hours that contact center agents could be required to work.

"We are going to be talking to BT about making sure working hours are not forced upon people, but we haven't got to that stage yet," a CWU spokeswoman said. A BT spokesman said it was essential that the contact center be available when its customers wish to do business with it. "BT has already brought back work from India with no issues surrounding working hours and we plan to bring more back over time," she said.