HP cuts salaries

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/084/1051084/hewlett-packard-cuts-salaries

"The math is pretty straight forward. From a productivity standpoint, you’re supposed to reduce headcount on par with declining revenue. If you believe the environment isn’t going to improve, you should take a bigger cut to get in front of the problems. You can do the calculation, as easy as I can. We have about 100,000 people in our product businesses, with revenue down roughly 20%, and an environment that may not get any better in 2009.I’ll be asked by investors, “Where’s the job action, where are you taking out this roughly, 20,000 positions?” Well, I don’t want to do that. When I look at HP, I don’t see a structural problem of that magnitude. There are pockets where restructuring needs to happen, and areas where actions will be taken as part of our ongoing workforce optimization process. But at a company-wide level, I don’t believe a major workforce reduction is the best thing for HP at this time."
...
Mark Hurd

Huge strike of EDS workers in Germany

At the beginning of December 2008, management was asked to enter into negotiations in respect of a collective agreement for EDS in Germany covering the following three main issues:
1. A collective labour agreement, including guarantees regarding the future of existing sites
2. A collective agreement to secure existing working conditions
3. A pay increase for 2009

Four warning strikes have been organised by the unions at all German EDS OS location since February 2009 following management’s refusal to negotiate. A meeting between management and trade union representatives was actually held on 28 April but no headway was made regarding the negotiations.

The result of last week’s strike ballot conducted by IG Metall and ver.di, the two German trade unions concerned, was overwhelmingly in favour of a full-scale strike : 96,55% EDS OS employees participated in the ballot, 91,92% voted in favour ! The strike starts on 4 June. The EMF supports the current struggle by the EDS OS workers and calls on affiliates, in order to increase the pressure on the company management and avoid any strike-breaking measures:
· to send messages of support to the unions and works councils
· to ensure that EDS and HP employees working in Europe do not accept any activities that may be transferred from Germany.

We wish the EDS-OS workers every success in their legitimate struggle.

In solidarity,

Yours fraternally,

Peter SCHERRER
General Secretary

EMF

Switzerland: a letter of union Kommunikation to HP requesting social dialogue

Bern, 27. Mai 2009

Aufforderung zur Aufnahme des sozialen Dialogs mit der ANV und der Gewerkschaft Kommunikation

Sehr geehrter Herr Kryhlmand

Wir haben zur Kenntnis genommen, dass HP sich bereit erklärt hat die zukünftigen Arbeitsbedingungen gegenüber den EDS Mitarbeitenden zu verbessern. Gleichwohl stellen wir mit Bedauern fest, dass sich HP weigert, auf die Vorschläge der ANV für die Erarbeitung eines Gesamtarbeitsvertrages einzutreten und zudem das Vertretungsrecht der Gewerkschaft Kommunikation in Abrede stellt. Dies, obwohl an der gemeinsamen Aussprache vom 16. März 2009 das Vertretungs­recht der Gewerkschaft Kommunikation von Ihrer Seite nicht bestritten war.

Wie bereits im Rahmen des Konsultationsverfahren von Seiten der ANV und der Gewerkschaft Kommunikation festgehalten worden ist, müssen wir erneut feststellen, dass HP offenbar weder an einem konstruktiven Dialog zur Verbesserung der Arbeitsbedingungen noch an einer nachhaltigen Sicherung der Arbeitsplätze in der Schweiz interessiert ist. Wie aus den Verlautbarungen Ihres Unternehmens zu entnehmen ist, genügen HP/EDS die 10-prozentigen Kosteneinsparungen im Rahmen der angekündigten Massenentlassungen nicht. Durch die von HP/EDS vorgeschlagenen Massnahmen zur Festlegung der neuen Arbeitsbedingungen – nach der erfolgten Übernahme von EDS durch HP – sollen offensichtlich weitere Sparmassnahmen auf Kosten der Beschäftigten erfolgen, indem die Arbeitsbedingungen verschlechtert werden.

Die von der ANV eingereichten Eckwerte für die Verhandlungen bezüglich der zukünftigen Arbeitsbedingungen bei HP sind von HP/EDS allesamt zurückgewiesen worden, ohne eine inhaltliche Diskussion zu führen. Es geht nicht an, dass die Arbeitsbedingungen in der Schweiz weniger sozialen Schutz bieten als in den anderen HP-Niederlassungen in Europa. Es liegt auf der Hand, dass bei weiteren Restrukturierungen HP dort Personal abbauen wird, wo die kleinsten sozialen Kosten für die Unternehmung entstehen. Für ein Unternehmen, das am öffentlichen Beschaffungswesen der Schweiz partizipiert, ist dies eine nicht tolerierbare Haltung.

In Absprache mit der ANV ersuchen wir Sie, uns einen Besprechungstermin zu unterbreiten für die Aufnahme eines sozialen Dialoges. Das Ziel des sozialen Dialoges ist es, einen Prozess einzuleiten der zur Verbesserung der zukünftigen Arbeitsbedingungen im Rahmen eines Gesamtarbeitvertrages beiträgt.

Sollte sich HP weigern, auf den sozialen Dialog mit der ANV und der Gewerkschaft Kommunikation einzutreten – und zwar ohne Vorbedingungen –, werden wir entsprechende gewerkschaftspolitische Massnahmen ins Auge fassen. Wir sind überzeugt, dass eine sozialverträgliche und nachhaltige Lösung im gegenseitigen Interesse ist.

Mit freundlichen Grüssen


Giorgio Pardini
Vizepräsident Gewerkschaft Kommunikation

- Kopie geht an:
- die ANV EDS
- KV Schweiz,Zürich, Hr. Benedikt Gschwind
- Uniglobal Union, Nyon, Hr. Gerd Rhode

HP confirms UK job cut rumours

VNUNet, 5/28,

HP has confirmed rumours that it plans to axe thousands of jobs, after protests by UK trade union Unite. The company has submitted a proposal to its European Works Council to cut over 5,700 staff in EMEA. HP has around 80,000 employees in the region.

HP is also set to offshore its enterprise, storage and server production plants in Scotland and Germany to a partner in the Czech Republic by 2010. Although HP will not comment on exactly how many UK workers will be affected, Unite puts the figure at around 850. Staff were informed of the news today, and a report from Unite was released shortly afterwards informing the public of the cuts. Unite has condemned HP's decision to move manufacturing jobs offshore, pointing to HP's profit of £1.1bn in the most recent quarter. Unite has also called on the UK government and Scottish Parliament to increase investment in the UK's manufacturing sector. "Westminster offers no meaningful investment, and Holyrood does not even recognise manufacturing as a key plank of its economic plan," said Unite Scottish regional secretary John Quigley. "When over £900bn of public funds can be poured into bailing out the banks, it is utterly unacceptable that help cannot be directed into a sector that is fundamental to nurturing our economic revival."

Downing Street responded by listing ways in which it is helping manufacturers through the global downturn, such as the Enterprise Finance Guarantee that supports £1.3bn of lending to small businesses, the HMRC Business Payment Support Service that allows companies to defer paying tax, and the Manufacturing Advisory Service that offers advice on cost savings. "We know how tough it is for manufacturers. Our manufacturing is bearing the brunt of the global downturn because it is deeply integrated into global supply chains, and supplies global markets," said a spokesman for the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

Meanwhile, HP's offshore move was questioned today by the Scottish Parliament. The plant, based in Erkskine, employs 1,300 people, more than half of whom are likely to lose their jobs."This is a company which has made a profit of some £5.2bn in 2008 due in part to the hard work of the men and women in my constituency in Erskine," said Labour MSP Trish Godman, according to an Associated Press report.HP recently announced plans to cut its global workforce of over 320,000 by two per cent, in addition to previously imposing a five per cent pay cut across all operations.