Unite members vote to accept Acas brokered proposals to end Fujitsu
dispute
26th February 2010
Unite members working for IT services company Fujitsu have voted
to accept proposals tabled by government conciliation service Acas
aimed at resolving the dispute between Unite and the company over
jobs, pay and pensions.
The vote by a four to one majority in a 72 per cent turnout
means that the four month dispute which involved 10 days of strike
action and other action short of strike action will end and all
related industrial action will be called off.
The Unite campaign was over proposals for initially up to 1,200
redundancies in the UK, a pay freeze imposed last year, and plans
by the company to close the main final salary pension scheme to
future accrual, reducing the total pay package of each affected
employee by typically around 20 per cent.
In the course of the dispute the number of possible compulsory
redundancies has been reduced from 1,200 to less than 30 with an
extension of employment until at least 26 March. In addition to an
extension of the pensions consultation period from October until at
least 5 March 2010, a 5 per cednt increase in pay has been offered
as compensation for the change to a defined contribution (DC)
scheme. Plus an extra year’s continuation of the final salary
pension scheme until March 2011 at the earliest, and a commitment
obtained that the DC pension scheme is contractual for both new and
existing members.
Fujitsu has also made a commitment to discuss more open pay and
benefit scales as part of transparency talks with Unite and
recognised Unite’s aspiration for minimum earnings of £13,500, and
agreed to the introduction of a minimum basic salary of £12,000
applicable from 1 March 2010 and a review of this on an annual
basis starting on 1 April 2010
Peter Skyte, Unite national officer for the IT sector, said:
“While the Acas brokered proposals do not fully satisfy our
members’ aspirations, there have been significant changes in the
company’s position on jobs, pay and pensions over the course of the
dispute.
“Unite will continue to work with Fujitsu to avoid compulsory
redundancies and press the company for a fairer and more open and
transparent pay system that more adequately recognises and rewards
the Fujitsu workforce for its contribution to the company’s success
and for improved pension provision.”
The Unite campaign also included a parliamentary lobby by senior
Unite representatives from key Fujitsu sites on 27 January, and
parliamentary meetings with the Fujitsu UK chief executive.
ENDS
For further information contact Peter Skyte on 07768 931302 or
Ashraf Choudhury in the Unite Press Office on 020 7420 8914 or
07980 224761.
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