Fujitsu staff vote for industrial action

Fujitsu has already frozen staff pay

Union members at IT supplier Fujitsu have voted to take industrial action against the firm after it decided to change its pension plans for employees.

The union Unite says 74 per cent of its members voted for strike action with 92 per cent voting for industrial action of some sort.

Unite's senior representatives in Fujitsu will meet today to determine what action will take place.

Peter Skyte, Unite national officer for IT and communications, said:

"Unite members are asking why they should lose their jobs and tighten their belts when last year the company paid out about £150m to shareholders and around £1.6m to two directors as compensation for loss of office."

Unite says Fujitsu is planning to dismiss employees later this month, and then offer them contracts with the pensions provisions altered, closing them to future accrual.

The union says this will reduce the total pay package of each employee by around 20 per cent.

The company imposed a pay freeze on UK staff earlier this year and in August it announced proposals for 1,200 redundancies in the UK.

Fujitsu employs about 12,500 staff in the UK at sites including Bracknell, Crewe, Sheffield, Warrington and Newcastle.

The union has protested that Fujitsu is a successful company, posting £200m in pre-tax profits last year.

Skyte added: "Fujitsu remains a highly profitable company and our members are insisting that the company must treat them fairly and increase pay, provide decent pensions, and consult meaningfully to minimise job losses and avoid compulsory redundancy."