Fujitsu in strike threat
MEMBERS of Unite, the largest union in the UK, have voted to take industrial action at the Fujitsu IT services company in the UK over plans to slash pension benefits and impose widespread redundancies.
Around 74 per cent of those voting decided in favour of strike action and 92 per cent voted for industrial action short of a strike in the ballot.
Unite officials met to determine what action will take place. They claim that the pension changes being considered by the company will reduce the total pay package of each employee by around 20 per cent.
In late August, Fujitsu announced proposals for 1,200 redundancies in the UK and has since put 6,000 people at risk of redundancy, amounting to 50 per cent of its UK workforce.
Yesterday a Fujitsu spokesman said he was “disappointed” by the results of the ballot but argued that the group had no choice but to attack its cost base. “It would be foolish if we did not take actions like this,” he said, referring to the pressures on both public and private sector clients to cut their own costs.