JOB CUTS THREATENED AT HIBERNIAN

Ireland-based insurer Hibernian, part of UK-based insurer Aviva, plans to cut 580 jobs that will be moved to India over the next three years, reports the Irish Independent . Hibernian said that nearly all of the losses would be voluntary. The job moves will include data processing and claims recovery. The first changes will be implemented early in 2009, affecting up to 80 jobs in Dublin, Cork and Galway. A further 500 jobs will go to Bangalore by 2012. The Hibernian workforce in Ireland will be cut to 1,600. The report claimed that the Dublin office would be the worst-affected, with Galway and Cork suffering only minor job cuts. Hibernian CEO Stuart Purdy said that an Irish call centre would continue to be Irish customers’ “first port of call”. The Indian company that will take over the Irish jobs already carries out back office work for Aviva companies in the UK and Canada.