'Training insult' for redundant workers.

Byline: By Laura Wright South Wales Echo 

Redundant supermarket secretaries claim they have been told to train the replacements who are taking over their jobs in India. The 24 company secretaries working at the Tesco head office in Llanishen, Cardiff, have been made redundant and will work their last day next Friday.

But to add insult to injury, staff claim that they have been asked to train up recruits from India to take over their jobs when the office closes next Friday.

Union representatives say all staff in the department, which opened in August 2005, are disappointed.

Peter Hunt, of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw), said: "The staff concerned were very shocked when they heard that their jobs were to be axed. There was never any indication that the department was in fact setting itself up in readiness to hand over to India."

When the Echo reported the story last month, Tesco denied that they were off-shoring the jobs and said the roles were coming to an end.

But Mr Hunt said the employees were told in an official meeting that the jobs would be going to Bangalore, and a week later five people from India arrived for training. He added that the Bangalore office had been live for two weeks.

A company secretary, who did not wish to be named, said: "Most of us are feeling pretty demoralised.

"We are struggling to come to terms with the fact that our jobs have been taken away and handed over to India.

"Only two administrators have found other jobs and the rest are actively seeking other work. Five people have found suitable roles within the company.

"They may just be 24 jobs to Tesco but to the staff it is their livelihood and their careers."

A Tesco spokeswoman said: "For some time we have been establishing an administration centre in Bangalore and these jobs are part of that. All the staff involved were offered the choice of relocation within the company in the UK, or redundancy. Happily around a third opted to maintain their employment with Tesco and are moving to new roles. "Those who have chosen redundancy are being supported by Tesco through retraining, and opportunities to gain additional technical qualifications."