A leading chief executive has branded the argument that offshoring increases the level of skill in the industry as "nonsense and lies".
Speaking at the CII conference, Howard Posner, chief executive of Halifax General Insurance disputed views that offshoring had increased the level of skill in the industry.
He added that offshoring jobs to save money simply was an admission by an employer that it did not value its UK staff.
But AXA commercial distribution director Mark Cliff said that offshoring was not de-skilling. "The calibre of individuals is very high in India. They are generally 2:1 graduates," Cliff said.
Pierre Lefèvre, chairman and chief executive of Groupama said: "If we tell people that we can do their job 60% cheaper in India, it doesn't put a lot of value on the skills that they have."
