Fury as CSC tells axed UK staff to train offshore replacements

IT service giant says 750 UK staff affected in global restructuring will be treated compassionately and professionally

Workers facing the axe at CSC have been told they must train up their offshore replacements in a move branded "totally unacceptable" by Unite.

The IT services giant recently announced 750 UK redundancies and is offshoring about 200 roles to India and the Czech Republic, according to the trade union.

Unite has blasted CSC's ploy of asking those in the firing line to transfer their knowledge to the new starters as their last act for the company, which it claimed had made staff "furious".

"This is totally unacceptable and the union is demanding that CSC negotiates a proper package for workers that recognises their contribution and loyalty," said Unite national officer Ian Tonks. "The company must also do everything to keep compulsory redundancies to an absolute minimum."

In a statement sent to CRN, CSC confirmed that about 750 UK roles would be affected by a "redesign" of its global operations. But it claimed all those affected would be "supported professionally and compassionately."

Unite said it expected CSC to "do more" for the highly skilled workers who have "given years of loyalty".

CSC said: "We continue to explore other opportunities within CSC to place our UK employees. A small number of CSC's UK employees are supporting the knowledge transfer for specific roles moving to other CSC locations, and they are being additionally compensated."