Maxtor staff cut in pan-Euro rejig

Employees given 30 days to decide future as vendor relocates its offices

Storage vendor Maxtor is bracing itself for another staff shake-up after it began rationalising its European operations.

Employees have been given 30 days to decide whether to relocate or leave the company as part of the consolidation. Up to 10 out of 50 European employees are expected to lose their jobs. Sources also suggested that a review of distribution would follow.

Maxtor said its finance and operations units will be moved to one central office in Ireland, and sales and marketing will be consolidated into one site in France. In the UK, staff numbers will fall from 11 to about three to four. The manufacturer dismissed suggestions that distributors would lose local support, maintaining that it would keep sales offices in UK, France and Germany.

Didier Trassaert, who joined the company two weeks ago as general manager of European sales, said: ?We are generally looking to rationalise our operations. In the recent past we did not have a complete view of Europe. Now we will have a true European operation, not one French site, one German site, one UK site and so on. Dublin will become the focal point for orders.?

One source said: ?When the VP is a Frenchman based in Paris, it is not going to stay in the UK. It?s sad for the people who are in the wrong country.?

Job changes include Richard Evans, former European finance manager in Munich, who is moving to Ireland to become European finance and administration manager and Julie Aguilar, European marcoms manager, who is expected to move from the UK to France. Alastair Stewart?s role as distribution manager in the UK will remain unchanged.