Unite meets with European unions to deal with HP restructuring
following acquisition of EDS
12 September 2008
Unite, the UK’s largest union, met with over 40 other European
union representatives from 9 countries in Brussels in advance of an
expected re-structuring announcement by the IT company Hewlett
Packard (HP) next week.
The HP announcement, due on Monday 15th September, follows its
takeover of EDS, and is predicted by the unions to contain details
of substantial job cuts in the UK and worldwide.
The unions are concerned about the impact on employment and
working conditions of the EDS takeover by HP, and are also
dissatisfied about the lack of information provided by HP and EDS
to date.
The unions representing the HP and EDS workforces across Europe
called on the HP management to ensure full and meaningful
consultation at UK and European level prior to firm decisions being
taken, expressed their opposition to compulsory redundancies, and
urged HP to provide a detailed plan for redeployment and
re-skilling of the existing workforce in the event of
re-organisation.
Peter Skyte, Unite National Officer, said: “We are not against
change, but will closely monitor the impact of any proposals
announced by HP next week and take all possible steps to safeguard
the interests of our members and the workforce.
“EDS in the UK, prior to its takeover by HP, has placed a
positive emphasis on reskilling and redeploying substantial numbers
of people in restructuring within the company as an alternative to
redundancy.
“We support this approach and will oppose any attempt to return
to the slash and burn approach favoured by IT companies in the
past.”
-ENDS-
For further information please contact Peter Skyte on 07768 931
302 or Ashraf Choudhury in the Unite Press Office on 020 7420 8914
or 07980 224761
