The
Prudential is to cut 850 of its UK call centre jobs and transfer the work to
India.
According
to BBC News online, the insurance company is planning to establish an offshore
service centre in Bombay to reduce costs.
As
a result 850 jobs will go at Prudential’s call centre at Reading in Berkshire.
Roger
Lyons, general secretary of the union Amicus, criticised the move.
"The
only reason being given is an 80 per cent saving on wages, but no thought has
been given to customer impact or the devastation this will cause to those
affected,” he said.
The
company predicted the changes will cost £20m by the end of 2004, but said it
expected to make savings of £16m a year by 2006.
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Last
week Prudential announced that it was closing its final salary scheme to new
workers.
