Unite members at Fujitsu vote overwhelmingly to strike over pay and
pensions
30th August 2009
Members of Unite, the UK’s largest union, working for Fujitsu
have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action as part of a
UK-wide consultative ballot against a proposal to close the
company’s main final salary pension scheme and the imposition of a
pay freeze. 87per cent of members voted in favour of strike action
and 96 per cent in favour of industrial action short of a
strike.
Some 4,000 employees in the main defined benefit pension plan
are being hit by the company's plans to close the scheme to future
accrual. If the proposal goes ahead, the company intends to dismiss
employees after the end of the consultation period in September,
and offer them employment on new contracts which are unchanged
except in relation to pensions.
The union estimates that the proposed pension scheme change
would reduce the total pay package of each employee by at least 15
per cent, and is the latest in a series of attacks on employee
conditions at the company.
The company imposed a pay freeze on UK staff earlier this year
just a week before it was due to take effect, withdrawing promised
pay rises to employees.
Last week Fujitsu announced proposals for 1,200 redundancies in
the UK, amounting to 10 per cent of its UK workforce.
Fujitsu Services continues to make significant profits, with a
£200 million profit before taxation last year and a pay out to two
directors of £1.59 million in compensation for loss of office. In
the last month, announcing the latest results, the Fujitsu
President forecast record future profits.
Peter Skyte, Unite national officer for IT and communications,
said: “Fujitsu Services is not struggling or failing. It is a
highly profitable and successful company but one which is seeking
to take advantage of the recession to attack jobs, pay, pensions
and conditions.
“Our members are insisting that the company should pay fairly
and provide decent pensions for all its employees. Following the
announcement of 1,200 redundancies, they are now calling for the
issue of job cuts to be included in any ballot for formal
industrial action. We are calling on the company to meet us to
resolve these issues and avoid the risk of damaging industrial
action.”
Fujitsu employs around 12,500 people in the UK. Fujitsu’s main
sites are at Bracknell, Stevenage, Manchester, Crewe, Belfast,
Staines, Basingstoke, Wakefield, Sheffield, Solihull, Slough,
Lewes, Warrington, Cardiff, Bristol, Newcastle and London.
ENDS
For further information please call Peter Skyte on 07768 931302
or Ashraf Choudhury in the Unite Press Office on 020 7420 8914 or
07980 224761.
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