12/09/2016

Reading Prudential Workers To Strike

Prudential employees, based in Reading, will stage two 24-hour strikes over plans to offshore an estimated 82 jobs dealing with annuities to India.

Staff members of Unite the union will strike for 24 hours from 00.01 on Friday 16 September over the proposal to offshore back office annuity work to Mumbai. A second 24 hour strike is set to go-ahead from 00.01 on Friday 23 September.

The union said that the two days of strike action were "major shots across the Prudential’'s bows" in a bid to make it to reconsider the offshoring decision. Unite members will also be continuing their indefinite work-to-rule which started on 31 August.

Unite also demanded that the management "came clean" on the numbers of staff that are earmarked to lose their jobs. The HR1 redundancy notices says 82 jobs are at risk, although the firm has reportedly told the media the number is 51.

Unite regional officer Ian Methven said: "The Prudential has got itself tied up in knots over this unnecessary offshoring exercise.

"The management is unclear about how many jobs are at risk; how much money will allegedly be saved – first of all, it said it was £2 million, now it claims to be more – and the withdrawal of a customer statement saying there will be no impact on services.

"This confusion smacks of rank incompetence. As a result, our members will be staging two 24-hour strikes as a major shot across the company’s bows. Customer services for annuities will be severely affected on the strike days.

"We want the management to reconsider its decision which risks losing over 500 years of collective knowledge and experience in Reading.

"Unite is willing to talk at any time, any place to achieve a fair settlement. We have already submitted a counter proposal asking the company to stop the offshoring."

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