I'm guessing it'll be a popular choice.

Bill Gates is a Sith Lord, right?

"It admitted some workers would temporarily suffer a second drop in pay to help HP execs steer the services outfit through tough economic conditions."

...and what they really mean...

"It admitted some workers would temporarily suffer a second drop in pay to help HP execs keep their remuneration healthy through tough economic conditions."

They removed the subsidy in the EDS canteens in 2004, and the prices went down as a result!!!! only in EDS.....

Hurd cuts everything that he can find and the gutless brown nosed UK & European management try everything to protect their own jobs by yet again screwing the people who actually do the work.

If you want to maintain your current pension level then you have to pay an extra 3% of your salary, so what Hurd and the rest of the greedy pigs are actually wanting is a least an 8% drop in take home pay if you agree to the 5% salary cut.

Word around HP UK is that they will not be getting people agreeing to the cut and lets hope Gill and the the rest of the Hurd cronies get their bonuses cut as a result.

Boy am I glad I got out of that Victorian management style company. How long before Hurd reaches the end of the road where there is nothing left to cut just like he did at NCR?

Get out as soon as you can, take any package on offer.

If enough people leave it will kill their business.

Have a blue flu.

When I was with IBM (via Manpower), we got screwed and lied to. I tried to organise people to have a blue flu, but no-one wanted to take a chance. I decided to look after myself only, I quit, found a new job that paid £10k more.

The company has no concern for you, so why are you showing it loyalty, don't be a sheep.

Flames, because companies like this deserve to burn.

Why organise unoffcicial action? Join the union (www.unitetheunion.com) and give yourself support and a voice against this cynical, reckless management.

And support the petition at http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/greedypaycuts/

(on the wall of our design office)

"I work for money

If you want loyalty, get a dog........."

Gentlemen/Ladies get your coats................

How come HP are suddenly struggling? Cartridges for my printer have risen from £14 a year ago to over £21 now, you can't honestly state they are struggling can you?

They forgot to mention that bonuses, Shift allowance and overtime will no longer figure in the final salary pension calculations. This will hit the worst paid the hardest.

Hurd wants you to leave it is the only explanation for this treatment. Even in the current climate the amount of people leaving of their own accord is growing.

So if you protest against pay/benefit cuts when things go bad, that means that you guys will also refuse bonuses and raises when the company is doing great?

You can't have it both ways...

Wake up and smell the, err, roses :)

If you have leaks on a ship, the first priority is to keep the boat afloat, not to make sure everybody has a blanket, a hat and a lounge chair...

...they could just cut down on their global packaging consumption? Presumably that would free up a few mil.

Even when the company was going great, bonuses were almost unheard of for a large number of employees and you were lucky if you got a raise in line with the rate of inflation - ex-HP bod.

"So if you protest against pay/benefit cuts when things go bad, that means that you guys will also refuse bonuses and raises when the company is doing great?"

What bonuses and raises?

Over the four years I was a Manpower drone for IBM we were promised raises, but "there is no more money in the pot", or "you are top of the list" etc.

And HP is not a sinking ship. They still turn a good profit, so stop being so short term. If the company needs to cut back, then cut ALL bonuses, including management. Cut dividends to shareholders, they took a risk when buying shares, yes the share price will fall, but if the company is run properly over the long term it will rise.

"Hypocritical comments

By Anonymous Coward Posted Wednesday 18th March 2009 21:11 GMT

Flame

So if you protest against pay/benefit cuts when things go bad, that means that you guys will also refuse bonuses and raises when the company is doing great?

You can't have it both ways...

Wake up and smell the, err, roses :)

If you have leaks on a ship, the first priority is to keep the boat afloat, not to make sure everybody has a blanket, a hat and a lounge chair..."

Maybe it's the $1.9Bn of bullion (Profit) that was posted, mainly by EDS, in Q1 that is weighing the boat down

Get real. Hurd is suing the recession as an excuse. If HP/EDS were genuinely in danger of going under I'd take a cut but I won't do it to keep Hurd's pockets lined with cash

Do you really think the benefits will be re-instated? Of course they won't it's an excuse to cut costs.

As for bonuses staff are supposed to get performance related pay but even if you have exceptional reviews bonuses and pay rises are like rocking horse doo-doo.

I know as part of the salary reductions they have touted more performance related pay and bonuses but for EDS staff they have currently canned the performance review process...

What many people still don't understand is that Hurd simply does not care how badly he damages the company. He has a history of going into companies, raping them for his own benefit, and moving on. It doesn't matter to him if companies he has used recover or not. He has made himself even more wealthy, and to creatures like him, that really is all that matters.

And hey, the CEO has offered himself up to take a 20% pay cut to his base salary so thats all fair and good isn't it? Also his senior staff will take a 10% pay cut.

Err no, not when you see this.

“Mark Hurd (CEO) made $42.5m in fiscal 2008. HP gave him $25.4m in cash last year, including a $1.45m salary and $23.9m bonus money, according to compensation figures contained in the company’s proxy,” said one employee.

“He gets $42,514,524, of which ‘only’ $1.45m is his base salary. He offers to cut 20 per cent of his base pay. Well, that still leaves him with $41,354,524 plus his stock options. In fact, his pay cut of 20 per cent is really only one per cent.”

Left with Agilent. Now they inflate volume (but not profit) with PCs and get most of their profit off ink. I was a bit amazed they decided to milk the poor sods who bought HP printers, that is sure to boost future sales. Wait, that's next quarter, we don't care about that....

A company that develops a schism between the "management" and "workers" (as if the whole lot aren't all aren't just employees of the OWNERS) has already failed management 101. Unfortunately, that is most companies....

Mines the one with the HP41CX in the pocket, from the glorious old days.