PCS: Hewlett Packard staff to strike over pay and job cuts

Wednesday, 2 December 2009 12:00 AM

Up to 1,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), working for Hewlett Packard (HP) Enterprise Services, will be taking part in a one day strike on 10 December after voting overwhelmingly for strike action in a dispute over pay freezes and job losses.

78 per cent of those taking part in the ballot voted for strike action with 92 per cent supporting action short of a strike including an overtime ban. An overtime ban will start on 8 December in the run up to the one day strike and involve workers who work on IT contracts for the Department for Work and Pensions.

There has been growing anger amongst staff since HP took over EDS in August 2008, with 3,400 staff already axed. Staff have been further angered by the imposition of a pay freeze this year and for 2010 despite the company delivering fourth quarter revenues of 30.8 billion US dollars.

Added to this, HP staff now face a further job insecurity with further a 1,000 job losses planned for the first half of next year.

Those taking part in the industrial action work on IT contracts for the Department for Work and Pensions in locations around the UK including: Newcastle, Washington, Preston and the Fylde Coast.

Commenting, Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: "It is disgraceful that hardworking staff who are shouldering greater workloads and contributing significantly to HP's revenue and profits should be rewarded with pay freezes and job losses. The ballot result illustrates the depth of anger amongst a workforce who face a second year of pay freezes despite the company delivering fourth quarter revenues of 30.8 US billion dollars. Management cannot continue to take staff for granted and need to start rewarding staff properly and give them guarantees over job security."

Notes:

· For further information, interviews and comment please contact Alex Flynn PCS national press officer on 020 7801 2820 or 07833 978216.

PCS, the Public and Commercial Services Union is the union representing civil and public servants in central government. It has more than 300,000 members in over 200 departments and agencies. It also represents workers in parts of government transferred to the private sector. PCS is the UK's sixth largest union and is affiliated to the TUC. The general secretary is Mark Serwotka and the president is Janice Godrich.

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