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Fujitsu staff to strike
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Fujitsu staff to strike for six days

December 11, 2009

Fujitsu staff have announced they will strike for six days over jobs, pay and pensions.

Union Unite served notice of the strike days planned for next Friday, December 18 and on Thursday, January 7; Friday, January 8; Monday, January 11; Thursday, January 14 and Friday, January 15.

This follows 75 per cent of Unite members at the company voting for industrial action and 92 per cent voting for action short of a strike.

Fujitsu strike called off

Unite originally called action in November, but this was withdrawn when the IT firm, which has offices in Lovelace Road, Bracknell, agreed to talks and to relax deadlines on jobs and pensions.

The talks resulted in an offer from Fujitsu which was rejected by 83 per cent of members.

Derek Simpson, Unite joint general secretary, said: “While we remain ready and willing to talk at any time, this further rejection of the company’s position leaves no doubt - our members saying enough is enough.

“We recognise the effect any industrial action will have on key private and public sector customers and clients of Fujitsu, but the responsibility for this rests squarely with the company for failing to address the issues.”

If the strike goes ahead it is believed this would be the first ever national strike in the IT sector in the UK.

Fujitsu staff to strike

Union officials say the strike is over proposals for 1,000 redundancies in the UK, a pay freeze imposed earlier this 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.

Members will also be holding a Scrooge protest outside the company’s London headquarters next Friday, contrasting the company’s treatment of staff with last year’s £200m profit and the £1.6m paid out to two directors as compensation for loss of office.

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