Financial services union Amicus is pressing ahead with a recruitment campaign at Norwich Union amid growing fears of further job cuts under the UK insurer's offshoring programme.
According to a survey conducted by Amicus, 99.9% of staff at Norwich Union fear further job cuts under the company's offshoring plans. Over half of respondents (57%) claim to have dealt with complaints from customers over the service of offshore operations. The majority of those surveyed (91%) also say customers should know their data is stored and processed abroad.
Amicus says it has launched a massive recruitment drive within Norwich Union, despite the insurer issuing a notice to union reps telling them that they won't be allowed to participate.
Karen Reay, regional officer, Amicus, says the union "will be going ahead with its recruitment campaign and will be leafleting Norwich Union staff outside their sites in Norwich, York, Stevenage and Perth even though the company is hostile to our plans".
Last December, insurance group Aviva announced plans to shift 2350 UK-based positions from its Norwich Union subsidiary to offshore centres in India. In June this year, Norwich Union said a further 700 contract and full-time IT positions would be also be moved to India as part of a restructuring of its life insurance business services division.