Employees at Prudential’s Reading office have suspended their industrial action over the company’s plan to offshore skilled jobs to India.
The insurance giant’s protesting workers have called off their two 24-hour strikes – the first of which was due to take place today – and an indefinite work-to-rule that started on August 31, trade body Unite the Union announced.
Unite said the work stoppages have been put off after Prudential bosses gave guarantees that alternative jobs would be found for employees who will be affected by the insurer’s planned outsourcing of positions.
“This welcome commitment to find alternative jobs for the people affected by the outsourcing of work to Mumbai has enabled us to call off our industrial action,” said Unite regional officer Ian Methven.
The industrial action will remain suspended while Unite and the affected workers hold further talks with Prudential bosses regarding their offered solution to the dispute.
“This development would not have been possible without the resolve and solidarity of Unite members working at Prudential,” Methven said.
“We will now seek to work constructively with Prudential bosses in hammering out the detail and ensuring the alternative jobs on offer are suitable for those affected.”
An unnamed Prudential spokesman told the
BBC that the company has found internal roles for the protesting staff.
“Having identified some new opportunities internally we have now been able to offer alternative roles to all those people affected,” the news agency quoted the spokesman as saying.
Aviva job losses
Unite the Union has also condemned the plan of another British insurance giant, Aviva, to lay off dozens of employees in Leicester.
Unite national officer for finance Dominic Hook assured support to the Aviva staff as the union entered into a 45-day consultation period.
“Any loss of jobs is to be strongly deplored, but we are working closely with the company to mitigate the number of jobs under threat,” Hook said.
Related stories:
Prudential staff begins industrial action over job losses
Aviva announces job losses and office closure
