A global alliance of trade unions will today join with international labour groups, works councils and IBM employees in a show of solidarity against the IT giant’s plan to slash 10,000 to 13,000 jobs.
In conjunction with a day of action planned for today, 25 IBM unions and works councils promised “individual and co-ordinated actions”.
The unions are planning solidarity strikes in Europe, while the Alliance@IBM union members and colleagues in the US will wear black and blue to “signify the pain caused by job cuts”, according to internet reports.
In another campaign, spouses of “terminated employees” in the US will send e-mails and other communications to IBM chief executive Sam Palmisano detailing the effects that the job losses will have on their families.
The global alliance issued the following statement calling on IBM to reconsider the job cuts: “The trade unions, works councils and employee representatives at IBM worldwide issue this joint statement expressing our grave concern over IBM’s recent announcement of job cuts of 10,000 to 13,000 employees worldwide.
“We believe that the restructuring proposed by IBM senior management is the wrong direction for employees, the company and its customers.”
Representatives called on IBM to arrange for “timely and faithful full disclosure and transparency of the restructuring plans”.
They also urged IBM to explore cost cutting with employee representatives that would not involve axing jobs, and the establishment of retraining programmes for those threatened with redundancy.
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In addition the protestors called for moves to ensure that wages and working conditions are equal for similar work, wherever the job is located.
