Trade union slams Fujitsu over UK job cuts

Japanese vendor set to axe 1,800 UK jobs next year

Japanese vendor Fujitsu is set to cut up to 1,800 jobs in the UK as part of a "transformation programme".

In an announcement to employees the vendor said the restructuring would enable it to "better support customers in the era of digital transformation".

Fujitsu has UK offices in locations including London, Belfast, Bracknell, Crewe, Manchester, Stevenage, Wakefield and Warrington.

A Fujitsu statement said: "As part of the programme, Fujitsu plans to streamline operations in order to remain competitive in the market.

"All affected employees will be offered guidance and support and Fujitsu is establishing a consultation process with elected employee representatives."

Fujitsu added that no employees will leave before 2017 and claimed it will be able to give a more accurate number of employee cuts next year.

The vendor has been slammed by trade union Unite, who shed light on other conflicts currently taking place between Fujitsu and its employees.

It says that employees in Fujitsu's Manchester office are voting in an industrial action ballot over pay, pensions and job security. The vendor is also scrapping its UK works council Fujitsu Voice next year which Unite says will damage employees' redundancy and consultation rights.

Ian Tonks, Unite national officer for IT, said: "This is a hammer blow for these hardworking employees who have given their all to make the UK subsidiary highly profitable.

"Fujitsu claims to be a responsible business - it needs to start acting like one. Its UK staff make the company excellent profits.

"They deserve to be treated better than ‘unit costs' that need to be minimised. Fujitsu staff are saying they have had enough of job and income insecurity and of being denied a real voice in their working lives."

IT analyst TechMarketView added that it may not be just UK jobs under threat, claiming there is speculation of cuts in other EMEIA regions.

Fujitsu recently underwent a top-management reshuffle with UK sales director Kevin Matthews leaving the firm and Tom Roche moving from his role as UK&I head of products to be replaced by James Johnston.