Fujitsu UK.gov workers cast votes on strike threat

HMRC???

Fujitsu staff no longer work on HMRC it's all been moved to Cap Gemini, so the union will need to check it's facts before trying to get people out on strike.

@AC you are obviously only 15, so you have time to grow up.

What is it going to achieve

I don't see the point in the strike action, Fujitsu clearly dn't have the money available to support a final salary pension, 1,200 workers and a pay increase, if they don't have the money they just don't have the money. Strike action will only mean they lose more money faster, which would equate to the 1,200 number probably increasing.

Last time I heard we were in a recession and times are hard, other workers for other companies have voluntarily reduced their hours and such like, not because they wanted, they just saw teh value in keeping their jobs and at the same time keeping their employer afloat so eventually they could go back to full time hours.

AC @09:39

Do grow up, there's a dear.

strike action at Fujitsu

Hmmm well being one of the individuals currently being balloted for the strike action I can only say it's a sad day that it has come down to this, believe me, we aren't going on strike just because the tea is cold or we didn't get donuts on a friday (for reference the tea is cold and we don't get donuts on a friday).

We are going on strike because of the following:

* Pensions - Alot of us are being fired and rehired so that the company can put us on crappy pensions instead of living up to there original obligations. They are also casting there eye over the crappy pensions (that some of us are already on) and wondering how they can make it even worse.

* Pay - Pay rises have amounted to below inflation pay rises (effectively pay cuts) for the past few years and those of us that are performing well still get a kick in the teeth with some of us having to accept more responsibility with a promotion but no subsequent pay rise.

* Jobs - 6000 of us are under the threat of redundancy and the consultation process is nothing short of a joke with attempts to mitigate job losses being diverted to 'selection criteria'. Ideas that are put forward are instantly dismissed without further consideration.

Now for those of you that think 'so quit, get another job', well most of the employers out there are currently pulling the same crap with few exceptions. Employers are not being held to account for there actions.

Now for those of you that say 'fire the lot of them', 'get new staff'....to be honest, I'm sick of this crap, it doesn't raise the quality of staff, it just increases the amount of 'sell your granny', spineless twits as exemplified by Anonymous Coward Posted Friday 16th October 2009 09:39 GMT

The question is where do you draw the line, there is always some twit that is willing to accept crap wages, crap terms and conditions etc...those people undervalue the career that most of the readership of the site originally chose out of genuine interest for technology and the technical challenges that it represents...

Well I guess i had my rant ;)

Pay rise?

I don't work for Fujitsu but

What's a pay rise?

I heard of them sometime ago but rarer than hen's teeth.

It the same all over, particularly in the outsourcing field.

@AC 11:41

While your complaint might be valid you would have more credibility if you knew the difference between there and their.

Time To Bite Back

Like he said above, as 13 year veteran, we are getting well and truly shafted. If managers are supporting action, then something is wrong and yes they can afford it, last figures show a healthy group profit.

Well...

@AC Posted Friday 16th October 2009 13:34 GMT

Thanks for the corrections, I will endeavor to improve on my grammatical skills and hopefully my next comment will not offend your eyes.

I do not see how this takes away from my previous message but I do regret that my error with the written word appears to have have caused you some cause for concern.

I look forward to your next informative and indeed constructive comment. ;)

@AC Posted Friday 16th October 2009 13:15 GMT

I agree, you should have had a pay rise by now, but why be passive about it? You deserve a pay rise don't you?

@AC Posted Friday 16th October 2009 14:02 GMT

You got me, I'm not a union representative, I do however admit to being a newly minted union member.

While I do agree with some of your sentiments about current job seekers and the many deserving people on the dole currently looking for a job (my dad aged 56 and my brother aged 21 being amongst them). I find that I do not agree with the 'or someone else will' excuse as these words and the people who follow them undercut and undermine themselves as well as others. Those words have been used to justify almost every drop in benefits, pay, and pensions and almost every other poor decision that an employer has made to date: -

* We will chip away (and continue to chip away) at the pensions of every employee that works for the company, because if they don't like it and wont work for us, 'someone else will'

* We will cut wages (and continue to cut wages) for every employee that works for the company, because if they don't like it and wont work for us, 'someone else will'

* We will cut every benefit (and continue to cut benefits) for every employee that works for the company, because if the don't like it and wont work for us, 'someone else will'

This is happening not just in IT but in every other profession...ever notice how pensions, pay and benifits are never raised during the boom times when these companies are doing well but they are quite happy to be ruthless with the cuts as soon as they hit a bump in the road?

If we continue to accept drops in benefits, drops in pensions, drops in pay then we may well find ourselves eating out of dustbins in the future.

Fujitsu has made and continues to make a healthy profit, true they are not making as much profit during the recession as they were during the boom times, but why can't they roll with the punches just like the rest of us??

Oh and I agree with the fact that IT can now be considered to be a support function. However I would hazard a guess that the amount of companies who do not consider IT to be a necessary expenditure so that they remain competitive to be rather minimal.

@AC Posted Friday 16th October 2009 14:23 GMT

Thanks for the support ;)

Failings of senior management

This is unfortunately a result of poor decisions on strategy taken at the top of the management chain being taken out on the lower reaches of the organisation.

Fujitsu's management of its customers is fatally flawed and is resulting in customers reducing contract scope (in the hope of eventually getting out completely) and an inability to sign-up new customers, especially as they are lacking decent reference customers to put forward.

Net result is that the strategy driven by the senior management is only ever going to drive the company one way, especially as the market place gets more competitive. The senior guys will never suffer for this, they just cut the pay and conditions of those at the bottom of the food chain and then move on to another position before anyone can lay the blame for poor strategy at their door.

Fujitsu Services will be dust in a couple of years unless they re-think their whole approach to outsourcing