HOWZAT

In Britain, the debate on offshoring has so far tended to focus on call-centre jobs, many of which have gone overseas. But as Emmons’ experience shows, an increasing number of British managers are likely to see their jobs drift offshore.

Middle managers — especially those who do not meet clients face to face — are now competing for jobs in a global market with skilled, educated workers from India and China who, thanks to a far lower cost of living, can do the work at a fraction of the price.

The trend has become a hot topic in America, with an election coming up and unemployment high. Five states are working to ban the offshoring of government contracts. Protectionist politicians and their free-trade rivals are at loggerheads over these middle-class casualties of globalisation.

EMMONS lost his job five days before Christmas last year when Siemens outsourced his department to Tata Consulting Services (TCS), part of India’s giant Tata conglomerate.

Emmons’ first concern was for his family. His daughter was born with spina bifida and has required extensive medical treatment.

“The company called us in and told us they were having a hard time, costs had to be cut and that we were being outsourced. Then they brought in all these 20-something kids from India on visas,” says Emmons, who was a senior computer programmer with the company.

Siemens offered him a stark choice: leave now or train your replacements. He needed the money and helped train three Indian graduates to do his job. Emmons believes their combined salary was little more than he was earning.

“People say this is a German company and they can do what they want. But I don’t believe that the mass of Americans realise what is going on here,” he says.

Emmons says that not only are thousands of American jobs being sent overseas but many more are being taken by foreign workers brought in on visas and paid a fraction of the US wage.

TCS disputes this and says it pays the prevailing wage. It will not comment on particular employees or their salaries. But the visas it provides for its workers mean the company is not under any obligation to pay the going rate and other rival firms may be less scrupulous.

“Most of the Indians I have spoken to are shocked by what is happening,” says Emmons. “They don’t think they are coming here to take our jobs. They are told there is a shortage of IT workers, a shortage of architects, a shortage of technicians, whatever. It’s a lie. We are all being lied to.”

Emmons has now secured a new job — and a 40% pay cut — but says many of his colleagues have been less fortunate: “Corporations want to cut costs at any price. As far as I can see, this is a trend that is just not going to stop,” he says.