The views presented here offer a very different perspective on the outsourcing issue from that of free traders Mckinseys. They reflect the concerns of UK-based contractors who fear the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) being negotiated under the Doha Round will mean the destruction of their livelihoods.

These concerns centre on the ability of employers to bring in IT contractors on 'GATS passports', undercutting local operators and depressing earning. As Gerry McLaughlin puts it, 'It now looks like the floodgates will be open to a world full of cheap IT Contractors and IT Contractor providers. This is likely to happen sometime in the next 18 months. So, enjoy it while you can. God knows what the UK IT Contractor market will be like in 5 years time.  

For Gerry's comments in full and the debate they provoked, follow the link here .

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