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NIKKI Aldridge with colleagues on the picket line outside Fujitsu in Newton Heath.
IT staff stage mass walk out
24/11/2006
WORKERS at a major international company took strike action this week over what they claim are worsening pay and conditions within the company.
IT staff at Fujitsu Services, Central Park, walked out on Monday after they became fed up with the management "moving the goalposts" and blaming the union, Amicus, for breakdown in discussions.
Ian Allinson, senior representative for the union Amicus, said management was trying to "drive a coach and horses" through existing agreements and wrecking attempts to reach new ones.
"When we relocated from West Gorton we were assured it was on the same terms. Now they are saying this only applies to people who joined the company just before the move," he said. "They keep changing the rules and are not hearing grievances properly.
"We have got to draw the line somewhere."
He said workers voted three to one to take strike action and staff at the West Gorton site also joined the walkout.
Around 850 people work at the site, providing call centre services and IT services to government departments - including Revenue and Customs, the Home Office and Department for Work and Pensions - magistrates courts and the NHS. Workers are complaining about erosion of redundancy rights and delays to pay rises.
A union leaflet accused Fujitsu of denying workers the option of being part of a united workforce "treated consistently and with dignity and respect."
Richard Beach, 63, who has worked for the company and its predecessors for 42 years said: "It won't be long before I retire so I am doing this for the rest of the workforce.
"The company are being dishonest about it. If they tried to change things in a honest way it wouldn't be so bad. They are sending out circulars blaming the union for agreements not being reached when it is the company that is being obstructive.
"We have done all we can to try and sort things by other means but the company is refusing to be reasonable."
A spokesman for Fujitsu Services said the company does not comment on employee relations issues.
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