London, July 29 - Britain's civil service union has opposed plans to outsource more than 100 finance and IT British Council jobs to India, fearing it could set a precedent in government departments, a newspaper reported Wednesday.

The Times said 500 of the 1,300 jobs at the British Council, the quasi-government department that promotes British culture and language abroad, 'would have to go' in the next 18 months to save 45 million pounds.

More than 100 of these back-office posts are to be filled in India and the organisation also plans to bring some of the Indian recruits over to Britain to 'shadow' finance staff in Manchester.

The paper said the foreign ministry, which funds the British Council, is exploring similar options.

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), which represents civil servants, said that the British Council decision went against Prime Minister Gordon Brown's promise to secure 'British jobs for British people' and could not be justified during a recession.

'We think it is an absolute disgrace.