MAJOR employer Cigna insist they are still committed to Greenock - despite admitting they are to cut more than 30 local jobs and move operations overseas.

Finance staff were left stunned when they were taken in without warning and told that they were being made redundant.

Now fears have been raised over the healthcare firm's long term plans for its local workforce after it reduced office space in the town.

One shocked employee told the Tele: "We were called to a meeting and told our jobs are going to India.

"We are still in a state of shock. It is a good company with good benefits and we thought our positions were secure.

"This is a real blow, not only for us but also for Inverclyde.

"There is a worry now about how committed Cigna is to the area. Will they still be here in five or ten years time?"

The Tele revealed earlier this week that around 34 jobs are to go in Greenock with around 50 being shed by Cigna in total, with the balance going from their Glasgow base.

Last year the firm moved staff from their Pottery Street premises into their main building in Knowe Road after the long term lease came to an end.

The firm also introduced flexible working and home working opportunities for staff around the same time.

A Cigna spokesman told the Telegraph that the firm has no plan to leave Inverclyde.

They said: "Cigna is committed to Greenock and remains proud to be one of the region’s largest employers.

"Recently, we extended our Greenock Knowe Road lease, which demonstrates our commitment to our employees, the Inverclyde area and our customers, clients and partners.

“To support our growth strategy, we have decided to extend our relationship with our long-term consulting and financial partners. The majority of the work undertaken will be handled by our partners’ teams based overseas.

“We anticipate a headcount reduction of approximately 50, subject to employee consultation.

"We understand that this is a challenging time for our staff and we are committed to supporting them.

"This includes providing access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), which is an independent, confidential, professional counselling and referral service for all employees. An outplacement support service has also been put in place.”