Himalayan News Service

London, May 30

Nearly 190 jobs at American Express in Sussex are being shifted to India and the US, and employees whose jobs would be lost are currently training Indian workers. The Indians have been learning the systems at Sussex House alongside people who will lose 188 jobs to them. Union leaders believe Sussex House could be hit by further job losses in the future. Barry Jones, South East Regional officer for trade union Amicus, said, “I do not think this is the last time a group of people from American Express will lose their jobs to India. If that is not the case then I put it to them that they should say it is not the case. Certainly it is the trend in the financial services industry, and American Express is not unique in that respect.” The union says it is concerned that staff should have to teach jobs to people who take the positions abroad. Jones said, “We are really concerned about that. It’s a morale destroyer as far as I can see. If you want people to be committed to the place where they work this is the wrong way to do it.”

American Express said, “In February of this year American Express commenced a review of certain financial processes and functions undertaken by a number of divisions within the company’s financial centre at Burgess Hill. This review, which involved 342 positions at the centre, has now been completed. Following 3-month analysis, a decision has been made to retain 138 positions with regrettably 204 positions, which equates to 188 actual job losses, at the centre being impacted. The majority of these positions will migrate to American Express finance centres in Phoenix and India.