Amicus Fujitsu News

Lifelong Learning (Fujitsu Manchester newsletter)

To see an electronic copy of our latest paper one-per-desk leaflet on CafeVik, click here (a local version is here).

New UNITE agreements for Fujitsu Manchester signed

The new agreements were officially signed yesterday.

Front (left to right): Terry Thompson (UNITE Regional Officer), Brian Sykes (ACAS), Larry Upton (Fujitsu Employee Relations Manager)
Back (left to right): Mick Beadsley (Fujitsu Head of Government Helpdesks), Lynne Hodge (UNITE deputy senior rep), Ian Allinson (UNITE senior rep)

Unite and Fujitsu Settle Dispute

A dispute between Unite the Union and Fujitsu, an IT services company based in Manchester, over redundancy rights, union recognition and better pay has been settled.

Unite members at the site have voted by 99.6% on an 89.2% turnout to accept the company’s offer for new agreements covering union recognition, redundancy and redeployment rights, pay and benefits. More than 1000 employees, who work at the Central Park site or are based at home, can benefit from these new agreements.

Unite North West Regional Secretary, Laurence Faircloth, said: “Our members are pleased that so many issues have been successfully resolved to end the dispute. We now hope to build a much better working relationship with Fujitsu.”

Larry Upton, Fujitsu Services’ Employee Relations Manager, said: “I am delighted that we have put this dispute behind us and can now go on to develop a relationship with Unite in Manchester that will be of benefit to our employees, our customers and the company as a whole.”

Fujitsu Services and Unite have recently agreed a protocol on facilities for organising Fujitsu sites where there is no union recognition agreement. A Learning Partnership Agreement has also been reached, improving access to training and development for Manchester employees.

For further information please contact:
Unite the Union - Karen Viquerat on 01704 546 500 or 07768931316
Fujitsu – Graham Goulden on 0870 234 9568

About Unite the Union
Unite – The Union is the biggest trade union in the UK, formed through the merger of Amicus and TGWU. Unite organises in many industries, including all the major IT companies.

Unite has members across Fujitsu Services in the UK and Ireland and already has union recognition in several parts of the company.

Visit www.unitetheunion.org.uk.

About Fujitsu Services
Fujitsu Services is a leading European information technology services company. Its business is helping its customers realise the value of information technology through the application of consulting, systems integration and managed service contracts. It serves customers in the private and public sectors across Europe including retail, financial services, healthcare and Government. With an annual turnover of £2.46 billion (€3.59 billion), it employs over 19,000 people across 20 countries. Headquartered in London, Fujitsu Services is the European IT services arm of the US$43.2 billion (€32.5 billion) Fujitsu Group.

Visit uk.fujitsu.com

It's A Deal! (Fujitsu Manchester newsletter)

To see an electronic copy of our latest paper one-per-desk leaflet on CafeVik, click here (a local version is here).

Offshoring

The company is increasingly employing people in locations with cheap labour. This is now significantly affecting development, helpdesks, support and design (CSA) jobs.

The latest “One Per Desk” leaflet being circulated at Central Park includes an update on company plans, explains how the new “Annex 1” agreement will help protect jobs and careers, and advertises the UNITE demonstration at the Labour Party conference on 23rd September, where offshoring will be a major theme. Copies of the leaflet are available on Café VIK and on OurUnion.

You can find out more (and book free transport from all over the country) at: www.amicustheunion.org/marchwithamessage.

The Manchester Dispute Is Over

Manchester members accepted the company offer by a massive 99.6% majority, on an 89.2% turnout. The deal took effect yesterday and the company has now issued an email notice to all those in scope, i.e.:

a) Contractually based at Central Park, or
b) Contractually based at home, and living within 30 miles of Central Park, or
c) Contractually based at home and requested inclusion on the supplementary list agreed between the Company and the Union.

The new agreements are available in full on the “Amicus The Union” Café VIK community.

A big thank you to everyone who voted.

A jointly agreed statement about the settlement is being issued to the media. A version of this statement is available on the OurUnion web site.

Over the next week, the company will send a paper version of the announcement of the deal to employees’ home addresses. We strongly advise you to keep this in a safe place, as it is evidence of the changes to your contract of employment.

UNITE-Amicus: Greater Manchester IT Branch - Branch Meeting

The next meeting of our branch is:

6pm-7:30pm, Thursday 6th September
Upstairs, Hare & Hounds pub, Shudehill, Manchester city centre, M4 4AA
[Near the Shudehill Metrolink station and the spiral ramp to the Arndale car park]

A guest speaker from UNISON Manchester Community and Mental Health branch will give an update on their dispute (over the suspension of Karen Reissmann, their branch chair). They were on strike for three days last week, will be out again Monday 10th – Wednesday 12th. As well as appealing for financial and practical support, they are asking supporters to join them in a demonstration marching from:

Peace Gardens, St Peters Square, Manchester (by the town hall)
Assemble 1pm, Sunday 9th September

There will also be time for reports and discussion on workplace issues as well as for dealing with branch business. All branch members are welcome at the meeting.

Our members at Fujitsu Manchester are currently voting on an offer to settle their long-running dispute – voting closes on Monday.

Annual Leave Entitlement

The UK government has for some years counted bank holidays towards the minimum 20 days paid annual leave required under the EU Working Time Directive. Unions have been campaigning hard against this injustice, which is exploited by many employers.

This is now being addressed, with a first phase increasing the total to 24 days (including bank holidays) from October 2007 and then a second phase increasing to 28 days (i.e. 20 days plus 8 bank holidays) from April 2008.

The TUC says six million workers will benefit from the increase in paid leave.

It shouldn’t have any effect on direct Fujitsu employees, as our minimum already went up from 28 days (20 plus 8 bank holidays) to 33 days (25 plus 8 bank holidays) during the industrial action in Manchester in 2003.

However, many subcontractors such as cleaners will be among those to benefit.

A report by Incomes Data Services (IDS) says the UK will still lag behind entitlement elsewhere in Europe, which ranges from 28-29 days in the Netherlands to 39.5 days in Denmark.

Unions are lobbying for an additional bank holiday in the UK.

Working Week, Overtime, Shifts and Standby

Fujitsu wants to “harmonise” aspects of our contracts of employment relating to the normal working week, overtime, shifts and standby. They refer to this as “Out Of Hours” even though it affects normal working hours too.

The company has set up a group consisting of employee reps from UNITE, PCS and the UKCF to discuss harmonisation.

The company’s initial ideas were so outrageous that the reps and company agreed not to publish them, as they would set expectations so low. Despite this, Infrastructure Services (without consultation) revamped them as “interim guidelines” and started applying them to new employees or people who moved around the organisation.

Not only do these guidelines involve paying far less than most people get at the moment for working Out Of Hours, they also define “core” hours as being 8am-8pm, Monday to Saturday. This means you get no more for working at 7pm on a Saturday evening than at 10am on a Tuesday!

The IS guidelines can be read on CafeVIK. The contrast couldn’t be more stark with the union-negotiated “Unsocial Hours Policy” (UHP) that still covers many employees.

HR confirmed that Fujitsu will not use the “interim guidelines” in those parts of the company covered by union recognition. Employee reps asked the company to withdraw the guidelines elsewhere, pointing out that their introduction without consultation breaks the UKCF agreement. The contrast is another demonstration of the benefits of union recognition.

UNITE and the PCS union (which also has members in Fujitsu) have agreed to work jointly on this issue. We have already launched an online survey which members and non-members can fill in (details via www.ourunion.org.uk/ooh). The two unions have now agreed a joint leaflet. If you’re interested in getting the leaflet distributed at your site, please call Sarah Holden, UNITE senior organiser, on 07919 307 433.

In the near future, we expect Fujitsu to write out to the 5000+ UK employees who have received payment for working overtime, shifts or standby in the last year or so. The letter is an attempt to clean up HR database records which indicate which payment system the company thinks you are on. This is a very welcome move, as the data currently appears extremely unreliable.

It is vitally important that you check the letter carefully and ensure you understand it fully before signing and returning it. If you return the letter confirming an incorrect set of terms and conditions this could make it much harder for you to claim correct payments in future. If in doubt, please consult your UNITE rep.

Spot The Difference? (Fujitsu Manchester newsletter)

To see an electronic copy of our latest paper one-per-desk leaflet on CafeVik, click here (a local version is here).