www.socialistworker.co.
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Fightback at Fujitsu....
jobs, pensions
and pay on the line
S
TRIKE BALLOT PAPERS go out the expense of those who produce them. the power to stop the country just as much
this week to Unite and PCS union Rather than fighting back jeopardising as those in oil or electricity generation.
members at Fujitsu. This is a jobs, surrender guarantees more cuts. Fujitsu boasts that its services touch 99
battle that has to be won. It was the greed and irresponsibility percent of the UK population.
The recent announcement of 1,200 job of the rich that triggered the current The reason IT workers are being treated
losses in Britain is further evidence of the recession. worse and worse is that the industry hasn’t
company trying to take advantage of the Why should we suffer the hangover had strong enough union organisation to
recession to hike profits at the expense of when we were never invited to the party? enable staff to use their power.
workers. If governments can spend trillions on The strike by UNITE members at Ineos
Fujitsu has loads of cash (having sold bailing out the banks and on endless wars, Grangemouth not only defended their
Fanuc shares for nearly a billion dollars they can intervene to protect working pensions successfully, they actually got
in August) and forecasts profits in the UK people from the recession. their scheme improved!
for this financial year. The company can The IT industry is unionising fast,
comfortably afford to avoid redundancies, Fight to win and not just at Fujitsu. Staff at other
make a pay rise and offer good pensions Workers have won a string of victories companies, notably HP/EDS and IBM,
to all its staff. recently, including Visteon, the are getting organised now.
Pensions are not an add-on, they are construction strikes and Tower Hamlets
deferred pay. The attacks on pensions College.
have played a particularly important part In all cases, they won by planning or What you can do
in opening the eyes of many long-serving taking more action than the employer If you’re not yet a union member, join
staff, who feel utterly betrayed. was prepared for. If you’re going to today.
Why should those who produce the fight, it makes sense to fight to win. Ask Vote YES straight away in the industrial
profits accept cuts to make the top bosses your UNITE & PCS reps to ensure the action ballots.
ever richer? action planned matches the scale of the Get involved in the unions’ campaign
UNITE and PCS members in Fujitsu company’s attacks. in whatever ways you can.
now have to follow up their overwhelming In the 21st century, workers in IT have
votes for industrial action over pay and If Fujitsu workers mount a serious defence
pensions in the consultative ballots. of their jobs, pay and pensions, they can be
The unions were right to decide to
widen the campaign to include jobs. troops out of sure of massive support. Anger is running
high at the attempts by government and
The threat to jobs isn’t a reason to back
off on pay and pensions. This latest attack
afghanistan! employers to make us pay the price for a
recession we didn’t create.
Demonstrate Saturday 24 October
proves that senior management, like Assemble 12 noon Hyde Park Fujitsu workers could be striking alongside
bullies, will keep coming back for more March to Trafalgar Square postal workers, finance workers and others
unless people stand up to them. The march will be lead by anti-war who don’t see why they should tighten their
military families, army veterans belts while those at the top get richer.
Race to the bottom and soldiers. If you fight, you can win. If you don’t
Fujitsu says cuts are needed to remain fight, you are bound to lose.
competitive, but in reality Fujitsu has
been leading the “race to the bottom”. Did
you know that IBM managers now quote ■ I would like to get Socialist Worker regularly
Fujitsu’s actions to justify the attacks on
their own final salary pension scheme?
■ I want to join the Socialist Workers Party
The nature of competition is that if one
company gets away with cutting jobs, pay Name.................................................................................................................
and benefits, others come under pressure
Address.............................................................................................................
to do the same.
Unless this process is challenged, the ..........................................................................................................................
end result is that there are fewer jobs
and worse pay and benefits right across Phone.............................................e-mail........................................................ Fujitsu101009
the industry. This doesn’t change the
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competitiveness of individual companies, Return to SW industrial dept PO Box 42184, London
SW8 2WD industrial@swp.org.uk or text 07986 936094. Editorial 020 7819 1180
but does increase profits in the industry at
