November 30, 2009

Redundancy Update & Reminders

Redeploy into P&PM?

The company has just published a process detailing how people selected for Compulsory Redundancy can seek redeployment into P&PM (Programme and Project Management). Successful applicants could potentially replace someone in P&PM whose application for Voluntary Redundancy was turned down, enabling them to leave. See document “PPM Application Process” available on the Redundancy Consultation SharePoint site here.

Please let us know if you use this process to try to secure a role in P&PM.

Pairing reminder

(This repeats part of our 23rd November newsletter)

This link shows a list of members who have sent us their details to publicise to other members. Can you help find a job for any of the members listed in section A? Section B lists members keen to take VR if a suitable replacement can be found to take their job.

We’ve only included names where the member confirmed explicitly that they were happy for us to do so. If you can help, please contact the member directly where their name is shown, or contact us quoting the Reference code from the first column.

If you’re currently at risk of CR and are seeking redeployment, then if you’ve not already done so please send a short note including your name, your current role code, what role code(s) you would be interested in, any specific skills you want to highlight, any geographical restrictions on jobs you’d take, and whether you want us to keep your name confidential.

Similarly, if you’re seeking VR but haven’t yet been accepted and want to publicise your job to members seeking redeployment, mail us with details of your role code and current job (you may already have submitted this info to the Company’s pairing process), and whether you want your name withheld.

Deadlines imminent!

Remember that the deadline is now 30th November – TODAY - for those selected for CR to opt to extend their employment to 31st January 2010. To do this, go into “HR Performance + online”, then select to go to the Online Appraisal System, then select the Redundancy option.

The same deadline – by 5pm today – applies if you want to express interest in transferring some or all of your redundancy payment into your pension fund. Details of how to do this can be found on the Redundancy Consultation Sharepoint site (Questions, Answers and Factsheets), within the “Transferring Redundancy Payments into Pensions Guide” document).

Posted by IMH at 09:25 PM | Comments (0)

November 23, 2009

Pass It On

UNITE’s ability to win improvements to the company stance on Jobs, Pay and Pensions depends on the size and involvement of its membership. The rapid growth in membership over recent months has been crucial in bringing the company to the table. We need to keep building the union and the campaign to secure a successful outcome for us all.

If you know a few colleagues who might be interested, please forward this email on to them.

If you’re one of those colleagues, please join UNITE today and play your part in making Fujitsu a better place to work.

Posted by IMH at 03:19 PM | Comments (0)

Pensions, Redundancy and Tax

UNITE has been pressing the company to enable redundant employees to use their pensions to ensure that payments made are tax-efficient. The company has made a series of documents available on CafeVIK explaining the options they have now made available. Please note that the company is currently requiring employees to express an interest in the scheme as early as possible, and no later than 5pm on Monday 30th November.

You may want to request a pension quote from the company pensions department as early as possible to help you take informed decisions.

Posted by IMH at 03:18 PM | Comments (0)

Help Save Members’ Jobs

Thanks to all the members who have already let UNITE know if they have been selected for Compulsory Redundancy and want to stay, selected for Compulsory Redundancy but happy to leave, accepted for Voluntary Redundancy or rejected for Voluntary Redundancy. This will help your reps provide relevant information and support.

Some members have already succeeded in overturning their selection for Compulsory Redundancy, or securing redeployment. Please keep UNITE informed of any changes to your circumstances.

Pairing

In our 9th November newsletter we mentioned the “pairing” system being made available to match people selected for Compulsory Redundancy (CR) against people who want to leave. We said that (alongside the company’s own process) we’d circulate members with details of those members seeking redeployment, to see if anyone can identify an opportunity or a volunteer to take your job if you were keen to go.

The following link shows a list of members who have sent us their details to publicise to other members. Can you help find a job for any of the members listed in section A? Section B lists members keen to take VR if a suitable replacement can be found to take their job.

We’ve only included names where the member confirmed explicitly that they were happy for us to do so. If you can help, please contact the member directly where their name is shown, or contact us quoting the Reference code from the first column.

Reminder – if you’re currently at risk of CR and are seeking redeployment, then if you’ve not already done so please send a short note including your name, your current role code, what role code(s) you would be interested in, any specific skills you want to highlight, any geographical restrictions on jobs you’d take, and whether you want us to keep your name confidential.

Similarly, if you’re seeking VR but haven’t yet been accepted and want to publicise your job to members seeking redeployment, mail us with details of your role code and current job (you may already have submitted this info to the Company’s pairing process), and whether you want your name withheld.

Extension to 31st January

The company has not yet announced the mechanism through which it will determine which employees selected for Compulsory Redundancy wish to leave on 11th December and which wish to stay until at least 31st January 2010. Staying gives more time to avoid the redundancy at a collective and at an individual level. Members who have been selected should look out for instructions from the company and ensure they respond promptly.

Support for Staff at Risk

Those selected for Compulsory Redundancy or accepted for Voluntary Redundancy should have been informed by the company about the various support services available:

* Outplacement Support Services
* Outplacement Careers Fairs
* Invitation from Job Centre Plus and booking system

UNITE strongly encourages staff to take advantage of these facilities, alongside the campaign, pursuing appeals, internal redeployment and external opportunities.

Posted by IMH at 03:17 PM | Comments (0)

Campaign

While our negotiating team is busy trying to secure an acceptable offer, we must all ensure we use the time to prepare in case it is necessary to take industrial action. The stronger the campaign and the better-prepared we are, the greater the chance that negotiations will succeed.

UNITE has prepared a new leaflet for distribution across the UK. If you can help distribute the leaflet where you are, please get in touch, giving your name, where you could distribute it, how many leaflets you’d need, and the postal address you’d need them sent to.

Posted by IMH at 03:14 PM | Comments (0)

Jobs, Pay & Pensions – Update on Negotiations

Following the joint statement on 11th November from UNITE and Fujitsu, a further meeting with the company took place on Thursday 19th November at UNITE’s London head office.

In order to avoid the union having to issue a further notice of industrial action, the company needs to make a firm offer by Thursday 3rd December, so that there is time for members to consider and vote on this. If the offer is not acceptable, or no offer is made, UNITE would have to issue notice by Wednesday 16th December for action starting by Wednesday 23rd December in order to benefit from the legal protection of the ballot.

The following dates have been allocated:

  • Wednesday 25th November: Talks on Jobs
  • Thursday 26th November: Talks on Pay
  • Monday 30th November: Talks on Pensions
  • Tuesday 1st December: Talks (if required)
  • Wednesday 2nd December: Talks (if required)
  • Thursday 3rd December: Talks (if required)

Please talk to your reps to make arrangements now for members’ meetings around the country to take place early in week commencing Monday 7th December to report back from the negotiations and to discuss the offer before members vote on it.

The UNITE team for the talks will consist of a UNITE full-time officer and some of the reps on your elected Combine Committee:

  • Terry Thompson (UNITE officer)
  • Alan Jenney (UNITE rep, CRE02)
  • Alasdair Lewis (UNITE rep, HOM99, Midlands)
  • Ian Allinson (UNITE rep, MAN34)
  • John Garvani (UNITE rep, WAK01)
  • Lynne Hodge (UNITE rep, MAN33)
  • Pauline Bradburn (UNITE rep, MAN35)
  • Roger Dane (UNITE rep, IRE11)
  • Steve Warren (UNITE rep, LON93)
  • Robert (Wilf) Williams (UNITE rep, CRE02)

Rather than the whole team taking part every day, different reps will participate depending on the subject-matter. The team has been meeting earlier today to prepare for the talks.

Posted by IMH at 03:13 PM | Comments (0)

Unite National newsletter

You can see a copy of our new national newsletter here.

Posted by IMH at 08:24 AM | Comments (0)

November 13, 2009

Q&A on Joint Statement, 10th November 2009

Thanks to all the members whose participation in the campaign made the joint statement issued by Fujitsu and UNITE on Wednesday possible. This eleventh-hour move means the start of negotiations.

Reps have been fielding queries from quite a number of employees about the statement. This note hopes to deal with some of the most common questions.

General

Does this resolve the dispute?
No. It means that the company has agreed to talks. This will be the first time Fujitsu and UNITE have held talks at a national level.
Why doesn’t it solve my issues on jobs/pay/pensions?
All the joint statement does is put back the deadlines facing employees on the one hand, and facing the company on the other. It was never intended to resolve the issues themselves, merely to allow time for them to be resolved. The statement is the start of a process, not the end.
Is the action short of strike off as well as the strike?
Yes.
What happens if the talks don’t succeed?
If necessary, UNITE could issue a new call for industrial action.
What does the extension to the ballot timetable mean?
There is normally a time limit of four weeks after a ballot result is declared, during which industrial action must begin if it is be protected by the ballot. Fujitsu has agreed to extend this by a further four weeks, which is the maximum allowed. For industrial action to be protected by the ballot, it must now start by 23rd December 2009, with notice of action being served by 16th December. Once action began, it would be protected by the ballot for twelve weeks, which could be up to mid-March 2010.
Isn’t this like Royal Mail – delaying action until after Xmas to weaken the union position?
No. The January-March period (Q4) is the key for Fujitsu in terms of profit, revenue and new contracts. The period before Xmas is relatively quiet for many areas of the business and not the best time for industrial action.
We were all geared up to strike at my site. Won’t it be harder if we have to do it again?
Some sites were very well organised, others less so. All sites will be even better prepared after this “dress rehearsal” if talks fail and we have to take action later. Many people who doubted whether UNITE could have an impact have learned from the joint statement to all UK employees and will be more confident and supportive in future.
Won’t it be harder to organise action after loads of people have left through VR?
Unless the situation changes, we will lose some of our active members and reps through Voluntary Redundancy (VR) on 11th December. However, the vast majority of us will still be here. New people are joining UNITE every day and more people are getting involved through the ongoing campaign. Any industrial action after 11th December would be more effective as the company would be more short-staffed. Some of the areas where the company is cutting too much will be more visible after 11th December, helping the case against Compulsory Redundancies.

Jobs

How is the timetable for redundancies affected?
The company intended to dismiss redundant employees without notice on 11th December 2009. Now those who wish to stay will not be dismissed before 31st January 2010. In the meantime, UNITE will be continuing its campaigning over Jobs, Pay and Pensions, including strong opposition to Compulsory Redundancies.
I’ve been accepted for Voluntary Redundancy (VR). What does this mean for me?
If the redundancies go ahead, you would still leave on 11th December 2009.
I’ve been selected for Compulsory Redundancy (CR) but now want to go on 11th December. Can I?
The extension until 31st January is only for those who want it.
How will the company know who wants to stay past 11th December?
The mechanism has not yet been put in place, but it will be a personal choice for those individuals selected for Compulsory Redundancy.
If I opt to stay past 11th December, what happens?
The company would give you notice on 11th December. Even if your notice period is short (e.g. four weeks), you would not be dismissed before 31st January 2010. If the redundancy went ahead, you would then receive your redundancy payment along with Pay In Lieu Of Notice (PILON) for any balance of your notice period that you had not worked.
How does delaying redundancy until 31st January help?
The main benefit is that it gives time for the UNITE campaign and the negotiations to change the situation and hopefully to save your job. There are a number of secondary benefits. The extra time gives you more opportunity for retraining or redeployment inside the company. You would continue to accrue pension while still in employment. Once on your notice period, you are entitled to more support (e.g. government funded training). It’s easier to get a job externally while still in employment.
Once the company has given me notice, can it be withdrawn?
Only with your agreement.
What does the bit about annual leave mean?
It’s not entirely clear yet what the company intends to do, but Fujitsu’s aim is to minimise the extra they have to pay to bridge the time between 11th December 2009 and 31st January 2010.
If I say I want to stay after 11th December but then want to leave before 31st January, is this possible?
The company says this should be discussed with your line manager and can be agreed locally.
The on-site Outplacement services are being delivered until 11th December. What support will be provided between then and 31st January?
Fujitsu is currently talking to the Outplacement provider about extending the on-site support period
What’s happening with PCS?
PCS did not issue their notice of action, but have been having separate talks with Fujitsu. The company has agreed to extend the validity of their ballot to 23rd December, as for UNITE. Fujitsu has agreed to work with PCS to discuss ways of avoiding compulsory redundancies and has made proposals on extending the scope of PCS collective bargaining. PCS are still in dispute and they too say they may need to use industrial action if they cannot reach agreement. UNITE continues to cooperate with PCS where possible.

Pay

Why is there no mention of pay in the statement?
In the meeting, the discussion included jobs, pay and pensions. The meeting was not intended to reach agreement on all the issues themselves, but to give us time to resolve them. The UNITE campaign on Jobs, Pay & Pensions continues and there is no fixed agenda for the talks.

Pensions

How is the timetable for pensions affected?
The company intended to end pensions consultation on 14th November. It will now continue until at least 31st January 2010. This does not affect the company’s proposed implementation date, which had already been put back a year.

Further Questions

Please feed any further questions in through your UNITE reps.

Posted by IMH at 10:44 AM | Comments (0)

November 11, 2009

Fujitsu Warrington, 11th November, 2009

Ballot Result – YES to Strike Action and YES to Action Short of Strike

Strike Planning Meeting
WAR13 Conference Room 2
12 pm to 2 pm

You will have seen the result of our national official ballot on striking and action short of strike announced in the UNITE Fujitsu national newsletter. Members in Warrington and all over the UK voted in favour of both.

Action has now been called, and planning is already underway locally.

Posted by IMH at 09:27 PM | Comments (0)

Jobs, Pay & Pensions – Time For Further Discussions

UNITE met with Fujitsu on Tuesday, as a result of which an agreement has been reached which eases the deadlines facing members of the end of pensions consultation on 14th November and redundancy dismissals on 11th December and the deadline on the company of industrial action starting tomorrow.

The planned industrial action is therefore NOT TAKING PLACE from tomorrow.

We must now use this opportunity to try to find a way forward on Jobs, Pay and Pensions that is acceptable to members.

Posted by IMH at 11:09 AM | Comments (0)

Unite and Fujitsu Joint Statement

Please see here for the Unite and Fujitsu joint statement of the 11th November 2009.

Posted by IMH at 10:37 AM | Comments (0)

November 09, 2009

Redundancy Update

The company’s mis-handling of the redundancy situation continues. Over the last few days, hundreds of staff have been told they have been provisionally selected for redundancy. Such news would be a nasty shock in any circumstances, but doing it “the Fujitsu way” is often making things worse. Examples include:

  • Many people being told at the end of the week (even Friday afternoon), against all good practice.
  • Staff told to expect notification to arrive by a certain time, breathing a sigh of relief when that time passed, then being told they have been selected.
  • Staff being told by email or by post, rather than in person.
  • Staff being told over the phone whilst driving.
  • Using a courier firm to deliver redundancy notices in Engineering Services. The company proposes to cut a number of jobs and move the work to the same courier firm. In at least one case the engineer turned up at the courier depot as part of their job and was handed the letter by the courier company, whose staff made public that it must be the redundancy letter.
  • Staff having to pay to collect their letter as Fujitsu used insufficient postage.
  • Letters to people selected for Compulsory Redundancy being sent with a covering email which refers to Voluntary Redundancy.
  • Some people receiving several redundancy letters for different people in one envelope (and others presumably not being notified).

If you’ve been affected by these or other issues and would be willing to provide a quote for use in campaign materials (with or without being named), please get in touch.

UNITE is pleased to report that the overall number of redundancies has already been reduced from 1200 to under 1000. Fujitsu says that around 60% of these are volunteers, but that would still mean around 400 Compulsory Redundancies. This number could easily be reduced much further by simple measures such as extending the timescale, widening the VR programme, improving the redundancy package and providing proper support for retraining and redeployment.

As well as insensitive communication, there are other serious concerns about the latest developments in the redundancy programme.

The company had told UNITE that the letters would include details of the Information Centres and support available to employees facing redundancy. This was completely missing. UNITE provides some of this information for members in section 4 of this newsletter.

The company “Fact Sheet” on selection and appeals said that “once the scoring exercise has been completed by the scoring managers, those individuals who have been provisionally selected for redundancy will be sent a letter enclosing their scores and asked to attend a meeting to discuss their provisional selection. The purpose of sending a letter in advance of the meeting is to give employees time to prepare for the meeting”. In fact, the letters only included the “headline” scores in each of the four categories, and the score sheet itself was not enclosed. This makes it impossible for an employee to prepare meaningfully for the meeting. It is unreasonable to expect employees to attend a meeting at which they are presented with information about their selection and to respond effectively on the spot, all within 45 minutes. Wherever possible, UNITE recommends that members get the information, ask some questions, make clear that they are unhappy and stop the 1-1 meeting and ask for it to be reconvened. Please refer to section 4 below.

UNITE had asked the company to carry out “Equality Proofing” on its selection process. To date the company has provided no evidence of this taking place.

UNITE has evidence that in Application Services you were significantly more likely to be selected for Compulsory Redundancy if you were:

  • Female, or
  • Older, or
  • Indian or “Other Ethnic Group”, or
  • Worked part time

UNITE raised concerns about discrimination in Application Services on grounds of gender, part-time working, disability and trade union activity before notifications went out. The company says it has reviewed the decisions, but has so far provided no evidence to counter the impression of discrimination.

The individuals told they have been selected for redundancy are going through a real mix of shock, anger and depression. If you haven’t been selected, it can be hard to know what to say. Please talk to your colleagues and don’t let them feel isolated. Redundancies aren’t about the people that were picked. They are about the greed of senior managers who want to increase profits at the expense of ruining the lives of some and adding to the stress and workload of those left behind. We have to support each other to get through this.

Posted by IMH at 10:36 AM | Comments (0)

Developments between UNITE, PCS and Fujitsu

Way back in July, Peter Skyte, our UNITE National Officer, wrote to the company seeking negotiations. The company rejected this approach.

UNITE sent the overwhelming ballot result to the company on Thursday 29th October. Having received no response, UNITE and PCS wrote to the company on Monday 2nd November, offering talks over Jobs, Pay and Pensions. The company then rejected all the proposals and alternatives from the Pensions Forum and started notifying members that they had been selected for redundancy. In this context, and having still received no response from the company, UNITE issued the notice of industrial action on Thursday 5th November.

On 6th November, the company finally responded to Peter Skyte, our UNITE National Officer:

Dear Peter,

I have been asked to respond to the letter you sent to Roger Gilbert on the 2nd November.

The company appreciates that you are willing to discuss ways that industrial action could be prevented and is keen to work with you to explore any mutually acceptable solutions.

I would be happy at some point to meet personally with you to discuss this further, as I agree that this could help in progressing to a satisfactory conclusion for us both.

As a first step, however, I suggest that I and another senior HR colleague meet with Terry Thompson and Ian Allinson in the very near future so that we can understand the concerns being raised by your members and explore the issues in more detail.

I have to tell you, however, that it is the company’s policy not to discuss matters that are in dispute with a trade union that has issued a specific notice of strike action. We would, therefore, require Unite to agree to either withdraw or defer its notice issued on 5th November 2009 before we have this meeting.

Assuming that this proposal is acceptable to you, I would be happy to make the arrangements for the initial meeting direct with Terry and Ian.

Please confirm how you would like to proceed as soon as possible and if you have any further queries, please feel free to contact me on 07867 828393.

Yours sincerely,

Larry Upton
Employee Relations Manager


It is very welcome that the company was for the first time saying it is willing to talk, but the letter had two key weaknesses. Firstly, the company demanded that UNITE withdraw the notice of action before talks could take place, while the company did not offer to withdraw the threat of ending pensions consultation this week or the threat that members will be made redundant without notice on 11th December. Secondly, the company’s attempt to choose our negotiating team (can we choose theirs?) could suggest that the talks would only cover staff in the Manchester bargaining unit, when the vast majority of our members are elsewhere.

UNITE members in Manchester discussed Larry Upton’s letter at their Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on Friday, and took the unanimous view that they would not take part in talks that divide Manchester from the rest of the country. This is a national campaign, we have had a national ballot and we will settle it nationally.

Larry’s letter was discussed by our elected national Combine Committee, which took the view that we should welcome the company’s willingness to talk, that we should be prepared to enter national negotiations at any time and without preconditions, but that we would only lift the notice of industrial action if the company relaxes the impending deadlines threatening the jobs and pensions of our members and enters national negotiations.

Ella Bennett wrote to Peter Skyte later on Friday:

Dear Peter,

Following our conversation earlier today I thought that it would be helpful to reiterate in more detail some of the points that I was making.

I understand Unite’s concern about job losses; we are equally disappointed that the proposed dismissals are necessary. We do however have to take urgent action to protect the business in the long-term and thereby protect the jobs of the vast majority of our employees.

We originally proposed 1200 redundancies across the company but hard work by union and other employee representatives and managers in the Consultative Forums has meant that the total number identified is now under 1000. Of these, around 60% are volunteers who wish to leave and we still have time to explore redeployment options for the remainder.

We are continuing to work to increase the number of volunteers, thereby leading to fewer compulsory redundancies, and we would welcome Unite’s reps continued involvement in the consultation process in order to reduce still further the number of your members selected for redundancy.

In addition, as you know, we have proposed a postponement of any closure of the ICL DB pension plan to future accrual – something which I am sure you will welcome.

For these reasons I believe that in terms of general aspirations and, indeed, practical outcomes, our positions are not far apart. I am sure that early discussions involving relevant management and union representatives, without the threat of imminent strike action, have every chance of leading to an end of this dispute.

In particular, I think there is value in our respective organisations specifically discussing the pension consultation process and whether the timescales could be extended and how we could work together to find ways of mitigating any compulsory redundancies within the employee population represented by Unite.

My management colleagues are ready to start these discussions early next week so I hope for an early, positive response.

Yours sincerely

Ella Bennett
HR Director
Fujitsu UK and Ireland

It is clear that the ballot result and notice of action has at last got the company’s attention, but the company needs to provide substance, not just warm words, in order to reach a sensible settlement.

In line with the decision of our Combine Committee, Peter Skyte responded to the company this morning as follows:

Dear Ella,

I refer to the letter from Larry Upton on 6 November and your further letter of 6 November following our telephone conversation, although it is disappointing that the company did not respond to us until a week after we notified you of our ballot result, and after we had served notice of industrial action.

We welcome your suggestion of early discussions involving relevant management and union representatives, with the aim of resolving this dispute, and Unite is willing to meet the company without any preconditions. However since we notified Fujitsu Services of the ballot result, the company has rejected proposals from the pensions forum, and begun notifying hundreds of employees of selection for compulsory redundancy. To add insult to injury, I understand that some of the employees receiving such letters have had to pay postage on these as the postage was underpaid, and you must recognise that this has further added to the anger felt by those on the receiving end.

We fully understand the company's preference that talks should take place without the threat of imminent strike action, just as we would prefer that talks should take place without the imminent threat of dismissal through compulsory redundancy without notice on 11th December.

Our members would much prefer not have to take industrial action in order to achieve a resolution of the vitally important issues they face in relation to jobs, pay and pensions.

We do not believe it is reasonable for the company to expect Unite to withdraw notice of industrial action before talks can begin, while the company still proposes to end pensions’ consultation this week and to dismiss employees through the redundancy programme.

We are ready to meet the company to seek a resolution, without any preconditions. However If the company is not prepared to do this, we would be prepared to withdraw the notice of action to allow national discussions to take place, provided that the company reciprocates by guaranteeing that it would neither implement compulsory redundancies nor end pensions’ consultation until at least the end of January 2010.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Skyte
National Officer

Peter has specifically offered talks with the company on Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday. This was the position at the time this newsletter was drafted.

Meanwhile, the company has also been busy with its “divide and rule” tactics.

On 5th November, Ella Bennett wrote to PCS, offering negotiations on several of the issues in dispute. PCS will be holding talks with the company on Tuesday (10th November), but have advised that “if these talks do not bring clear proposals for a settlement then we will ask our members to commence a work to rule from 20 November and take strike action on Friday 20 and Monday 23 November”.

The company’s approach to PCS, along with their move to delay closure of the ICL DB pension plan by a year, shows that the company is seriously worried about the threat of industrial action.

It is disappointing that PCS did not give notice to start their industrial action at the same time as UNITE, but we should keep this in perspective. UNITE’s membership in Fujitsu is about twice that of PCS, and more than three times as many UNITE members voted to strike than PCS members.

This week we will find out whether Fujitsu is prepared to take serious steps to avoid industrial action, or whether talks are just the time-wasting we have seen from Fujitsu so often before.

UNITE members can be sure of one thing. UNITE will not fall for Fujitsu’s “divide and rule” tactics or allow the company to drag things out until members lose their jobs and pensions without the chance to put up a fight.

Posted by IMH at 10:33 AM | Comments (0)

Q&A on Industrial Action for Jobs, Pay & Pensions

Our newsletter on 2nd November covered many of the common questions about industrial action. Today’s newsletter deals with many of those that reps are still being asked:

What action had been called?
You can read the notice of action online.
What do “continuous” and “discontinuous” mean?
The action short of strike is “continuous”, which means that it goes on from Thursday 12th November until we stop it.
The strike action is “discontinuous”, which means that we only strike on the dates specified (Thursday 12th, Friday 13th and Monday 16th November).
What times are the action?
The strikes are all day, which means that we shouldn’t do any work from midnight to midnight. This applies to all work, whether it is your normal shift, overtime, standby or call-out.
The strike dates specified do not include the weekend, though the weekend is covered by the call for action short of strike.
Do I have to tell my manager whether I’m striking?
UNITE served the notice to the company about the action, fulfilling the legal requirement. Managers are scurrying around trying to find out who intends to strike so that they can minimise the impact of the action. You are under no obligation to tell them in advance unless you want to.
Who can legally take part in industrial action?
If UNITE called national action on the basis of our recent ballot, anyone “employed by Fujitsu Services Limited in the UK and not posted overseas” would have the same legal protection for taking part, regardless of whether or not they are a UNITE member, whether or not they are covered by union recognition, whether or not they personally voted for action.
Employees of other companies (e.g. agency staff, subcontractors) would not enjoy the same legal protection.
If I strike won’t it just mean I have more work to do afterwards?
No. A major purpose of the action short of strike is to change overwork from being our problem into the company’s problem. The company has withdrawn goodwill from employees, so we are adopting a policy of non-cooperation, working to rule and working to contract. We should do what we have to, not what is needed to meet the company’s unrealistic targets. There is no point striking one day and working hours of unpaid overtime the next to catch up. Let the job slip until the dispute is settled.
Is this a ban on overtime?
No. The aim is to put pressure on the company, not on ourselves. Overtime is banned unless it is paid at at least Unsocial Hours Policy (UHP) rates. UNITE will be issuing a model letter that you can send to your manager asking whether they agree to pay you at the higher rate or to not do the overtime. This would include overtime worked when on-call or on standby.
If you’re not sure whether you would get more, you can read the UHP online, and download a copy of the UHP claim form (though note that this version has lower standby rates than the UHP).
I’m being asked to do something different to normal in order to reduce the impact of the strike. What do I do?
The action short of strike includes “policy of non-cooperation” which should cover you for refusing to do things you don’t normally do, especially if they are intended to undermine the effectiveness of the industrial action.
Picketing
Picketing means being outside a workplace, trying to persuade others not to go in to work. It’s normal to use placards and leaflets to communicate with people, as well as trying to speak to them directly. We want all our picket lines to be friendly and good humoured.
The law allows peaceful picketing by workers at their own place of work. Different rules apply to members who don’t have a regular place of work, normally work from a variety of workplaces, are mobile, or for whom it is impractical to picket at their place of work because of its location. These workers may picket any place from which they work or from which their work is administered. Union officers (which includes reps as well as full-time union officials) can accompany a member they represent who is picketing their place of work.
There is no right to picket on private property, but sometimes the owner will allow this, for example if it is more convenient, less disruptive or safer.
There should be a responsible person in charge of each picket line. It’s a good idea for these people (sometimes called “picket captains”) to have lists of mobile numbers to keep in touch.
Pickets can lawfully ask people who are not Fujitsu employees not to cross, but if those people take part in industrial action they would not be covered by the same legal protection.
Dispute Benefit and Hardship Payments
UNITE provides Dispute Benefit of £30 a day to members who are on official strike. To administer this, your reps will need you to confirm that you were on strike for each strike day.
Your Combine Committee has also organised a fund to provide extra financial support if we take industrial action. Members will be able to apply for “Hardship Payments” if their financial situation means they would otherwise be unable to take part in the action. As the money for this is being raised by members, Hardship Payments will only be available to members who play an active part in the campaign. This means it will be important to ensure your name is recorded on a register when you take part in picketing or other campaign activities. Reps will ensure that there are activities which everyone can take part in.
Annual Leave
Where the union calls on employees to take strike action, the action is made more effective the more people who strike.
However, given the time of year, some employees will be under pressure to use up their annual leave entitlement before the end of the year, or risk losing it.
If employees take annual leave on strike days, they are encouraged to make a donation to the dispute fund. Members are only entitled to UNITE Dispute Benefit if striking, rather than taking annual leave.
My Contract Says X – Can I Take Action?
The whole point of going through the long and complex process of a ballot is so that employees can benefit from legal protection if they refuse to work as normal, which can technically mean breaking your contract. UNITE will only call action which is lawful.
Of course there are many instances elsewhere of employees taking industrial action which does not benefit from legal protection. Even under those circumstances, as long as people stick together, there are rarely any negative consequences for those involved.

Posted by IMH at 10:25 AM | Comments (0)

Tips For Members Provisionally Selected for Redundancy

  1. The company is setting up a “pairing” system to match people selected for Compulsory Redundancy (CR) against people who want to leave. However, they’re not telling half the people who want to leave about it. UNITE intends to run its own system to help members selected for redundancy. If you’re a UNITE member in this category, please send a short note to amicustheunion at uk.fujitsu.com including your name, your current role code, what role code(s) you would be interested in, any specific skills you want to highlight, any geographical restrictions on jobs you’d take, and whether you want to keep your name confidential. Generally it works best if you are willing to say who you are, but this is not essential. UNITE will circulate members with details of those members seeking redeployment, to see if anyone can identify an opportunity or a volunteer who could take your place.
  2. Please refer to the guidelines for 1-1 meetings which were included in the email notice on 5th November.
  3. Remember that being selected for Compulsory Redundancy isn’t the end of the story. Lots of people are still in Fujitsu who have been selected before. You need to divide your energies appropriately between:
    1. The Appeal Process
    2. Seeking redeployment within Fujitsu
    3. Seeking jobs outside Fujitsu (outplacement)
    4. Taking part in the campaign against Compulsory Redundancies
  4. If you want to stay, you should appeal.
  5. Make contact with a local rep at an early stage to arrange representation. See the list in the footer of this email.
  6. The company is (at last) setting up Information Centres for people at risk in Manchester (MAN35 canteen), Bracknell and Stevenage. Use these. The company has arranged two competing providers of support, one using workshops, and one web-based. UNITE suggests staff try both, but you will soon have to choose. In general, we suggest the face-to-face option will be more appropriate because the provider can refer you on to other training etc. There will also be sessions with Job Centre Plus, which reps advise people attend regardless of whether you expect to claim benefits. Details of the Outplacement Support services are on CafeVIK.
  7. Check out the Recruitment portal on CafeVIK, but use your networks too – many opportunities aren’t advertised.
  8. Job adverts are often poor. Don’t be put off. You can argue for a job to be changed to fit you if you don’t fit it.
  9. The company may be about to spend thousands of pounds making you redundant. There is a strong case for the company to spend that money on retraining and supporting you instead. If you need training to help you get redeployed, ask for it.
  10. Don’t take “no” for an answer, and don’t accept a poor response. If you haven’t quickly heard back from a job application, chase it up. Don’t just rely on email – pick up the phone too. If you don’t get a satisfactory response, escalate it as far as you have to. If you get turned down for a job, ask why, so that you can address any weaknesses before it’s too late. You might feel awkward about being so pushy, but think how you’d feel in six months if you had no job and were kicking yourself for not picking up the phone. Your livelihood is on the line – insist that management and HR take that seriously and give you the support you deserve. Whatever you need to succeed – ask for it.
  11. Check out the latest “Shortage Skills” list on CafeVIK. If you have any of these skills it is a great argument against redundancy.
  12. If considering redeployment into a different role-code, remember to check the company pay scales for the new role so that you are making an informed decision and don’t get demoted without your knowledge. The scales are confidential and available from UNITE to members only.
Posted by IMH at 10:19 AM | Comments (0)

November 08, 2009

Fujitsu Manchester – report from EGM on 6th November 2009

Thanks to all the members who attended the EGM on Friday afternoon, despite the short notice.

Some of the issues will be dealt with in a national notice which is expected shortly, so will not be duplicated here.

Jobs

Around 330 staff in the Manchester bargaining unit were at risk of redundancy. No national figures were available at the time of the meeting, but the latest figures from the company for the Manchester bargaining unit were:

  • 43 Compulsory Redundancies
  • 32 Voluntary Redundancies accepted
  • 12 Voluntary Redundancies rejected (of which 7 are in P&PM where there are no Compulsory Redundancies)

The Professional Communities where the CRs are proposed are:

  • Service Delivery
  • Software & Solution Development
  • Technical Architecture & Consulting
  • Commercial
  • Business Services
  • Business Consultancy
The business areas where the bulk of the Manchester people are affected are Application Services and Engineering Services.

Many individuals, including a number in attendance at the meeting, had very recently found out that they had been provisionally selected for redundancy. There were serious concerns about the timing and manner of the notification for many employees, which had caused unnecessary distress.

There was a rumour that delays in notification were a result of the “review” with UNITE. In reality, UNITE had responded to information provided within one working day, despite it being provided in piecemeal and inconsistent fashion. The review had been worthwhile, identifying, for example:

  • Concerns about discrimination in Application Services
  • That the company had got the wrong names or email addresses for staff in Commercial
  • Missing information about redundancy terms and apparent errors in data on ethnic group for staff who transferred from FTS (formerly Fujitsu Siemens Computers)

Reps stressed that being provisionally selected was not the end of the process. Those affected would need to balance their energies appropriately between:

  • Appealing against selection
  • Seeking redeployment within Fujitsu
  • Seeking jobs outside Fujitsu (outplacement)
  • Taking part in the campaign against the compulsory redundancies

UNITE had pressed the company to set up resource centres at major sites to support people at risk. The company is now setting up “Information Centres” in Manchester, Stevenage and Bracknell, aimed at those selected for redundancy or accepted for voluntary redundancy. The Manchester one is in the MAN35 canteen. The company has arranged two competing providers of support, one using workshops, and one web-based. UNITE suggests staff try both, but you will soon have to choose. In general, we suggest the face-to-face option will be more appropriate because the provider can refer you on to other training etc. There will also be sessions with Job Centre Plus, which reps advise people attend regardless of whether you expect to claim benefits.

The company facilities are heavily biased towards outplacement, rather than redeployment, so at the Manchester Information Centre UNITE is providing additional support, focussing mainly on redeployment within Fujitsu, via our Union Learning Reps.

Pensions

The company has rejected all the alternatives put forward by the Pensions Forum, merely saying it will delay closure by a year. While the delay is welcome, closure would still mean the equivalent of a pay cut of around 20%, which is unacceptable.

Industrial Action and Campaign Plans

There was a discussion on the latest developments in the campaign and a unanimous vote on how the union should respond. As this is a national dispute, not a local one, this decision is fed into the elected Combine Committee to take a national view.

The updates and response will be covered in a national newsletter shortly.

There were also discussions about the practicalities of industrial action, with members signing up for picketing and other activities during the planned strike.

Any Other Business

Members decided to remove Saj Patel as a Union Learning Rep.

Posted by IMH at 09:32 PM | Comments (0)

November 05, 2009

Preparing Industrial Action

Meetings have already taken place this week in Stevenage, Crewe and Wakefield. The following meetings are coming up this week:

· Thursday 5th November, Room 217, SOL10, 16:00-17:30
· Friday 6th November, MAN33 Canteen, MAN33, 14:45-16:00

Your Combine Committee is encouraging reps and members in every area to get together now to plan for industrial action. Reps have been provided with a checklist to help with the planning. Please feed your local plans into the Combine Committee member(s) for your region (see footer).

Lots of members won’t be able to attend meetings, so it would be helpful if you could let your reps know which site you would be picketing at.

The section of the Q&A on picketing may help:

Picketing means being outside a workplace, trying to persuade others not to go in to work. It’s normal to use placards and leaflets to communicate with people, as well as trying to speak to them directly. We want all our picket lines to be friendly and good humoured.

The law allows peaceful picketing by workers at their own place of work. Different rules apply to members who don’t have a regular place of work, normally work from a variety of workplaces, are mobile, or for whom it is impractical to picket at their place of work because of its location. These workers may picket any place from which they work or from which their work is administered. Union officers (which includes reps as well as full-time union officials) can accompany a member they represent who is picketing their place of work.

There is no right to picket on private property, but sometimes the owner will allow this, for example if it is more convenient, less disruptive or safer.

There should be a responsible person in charge of each picket line. It’s a good idea for these people (sometimes called “picket captains”) to have lists of mobile numbers to keep in touch.

Pickets can lawfully ask people who are not Fujitsu employees not to cross, but if those people take part in industrial action they would not be covered by the same legal protection.

Our strategy depends on members being active, to maximise pressure on the company and minimise the industrial action we need to take in order to secure a fair deal on Jobs, Pay & Pensions. As well as picketing there will be lots of other campaign activities to pressure the company via customers, media, MPs etc, as well as to raise funds for our campaign.

Posted by IMH at 05:37 PM | Comments (0)

Jobs & Pension Updates

The company has started informing people that they have been provisionally selected for Compulsory Redundancy and whether they have been accepted for Voluntary Redundancy or not.

If you haven’t done so already, please refer to the notice sent out on 2nd November which provided guidance on the situation and explained how you can update UNITE on your own status. This is important to ensure UNITE can provide the best support possible to members.

The note also asked members to volunteer to accompany colleagues in 1-1 meetings. Due to the volume and short timescale it won’t always be practical to provide a rep. Thanks to those who have already volunteered. If you’re willing to help a colleague, please get in touch as soon as possible.

If you are attending one of these meetings on your own behalf or with a colleague, we hope you will find the guide useful.

An important update on pensions is expected from the Pensions Forum (IPMC and UNITE) later today.

Posted by IMH at 05:36 PM | Comments (0)

UNITE Calls Industrial Action

Fujitsu has acknowledged the letter from UNITE and PCS offering talks over Jobs, Pay & Pensions, but the company has so far not responded. As you will see from the updates below, we cannot afford to wait any longer before starting industrial action.

UNITE has now issued the official call to members for industrial action (strike action and action short of strike) as follows:

The action will be continuous, commencing on Thursday 12 November 2009, and will consist of the following:

  • Ban on overtime (paid or unpaid) unless paid at least Unsocial Hours Policy (UHP) rates.
  • Work to rule and contract (for example ban on work phone calls outside contracted hours unless paid on standby, ensure backup before and after applying patches, test and document thoroughly, be diligent about Performance Plus and Personal Development Plan activities and what is written in objectives, carefully read all Company notices and Health & Safety information, read all the information from the Pensions and Redundancy consultation web sites, take regular backups of PC, comply with the “tidy desk” policy).
  • Ban on using own vehicle to travel on company business unless in receipt of an allowance.
  • Policy of non co-operation

In addition, discontinuous strike action for three days on Thursday 12 November, Friday 13 November and Monday 16 November 2009.

Every member and non-member employed by Fujitsu Services in the UK and not posted abroad can take part. Please refer to the Q&A in the notice to members on 2nd November.

In the secret ballot, members backed the action (with a vote which was roughly twice what the winning party gets in a UK General Election). Whether you voted for action or not, it’s now in the interests of every employee to ensure that it is as effective as possible so that the dispute can be brought to a swift and satisfactory conclusion.

The ballot result itself received very wide media coverage, including the IT industry press, business press, local press, pensions press, Reuters, the Telegraph, Sky and the Times. If we have to go ahead with industrial action it will undoubtedly attract even more interest, adding to the pressure on Fujitsu to reach a negotiated settlement.

Posted by IMH at 05:23 PM | Comments (0)

UNITE Notice of Proposed Industrial Action

See here for the Notice of Proposed Industrial Action

Posted by IMH at 04:14 PM | Comments (0)

November 04, 2009

Local Meetings in Crewe and Manchester THIS WEEK

Don’t forget the open UNITE lunchtime meeting in Crewe, which will focus on practicalities, planning and preparation in case industrial action is called:

Location – CR 0-2, CRE02
Date – Thursday, 5th November, 2009
Time - 1pm – 2pm

A prompt start and a different time to previous meetings
An agenda was included in the notice on 30th October.

There will be an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) for all UNITE members in the Manchester bargaining unit:

2:45-4:00pm, Friday 6th November
MAN33 Canteen
Please note the different venue to usual

This meeting will discuss significant developments on Jobs and Pensions, as well as practicalities, planning and preparation in case industrial action is called.

Members are entitled to attend the meeting in work time. If your manager might need to arrange cover for your job while you attend, please ensure you ask them to confirm your release now. If you have any difficulty securing release, please contact your rep immediately.

Please do your utmost to attend one of these meetings.

Posted by IMH at 09:36 PM | Comments (0)

Combine Committee Election

Congratulations to George Latimer who was elected unopposed to the vacant seat for the Warrington sites on our Combine Committee. He joins Jackie Cook, Lynne Hodge, Ian Allinson, Isabel Hay and Pauline Bradburn representing the Manchester bargaining unit alongside Alan Jenney and Robert (Wilf) Williams representing the rest of the North-West.

A vacancy remains for a member in the Manchester bargaining unit who is based at HOM99.

Posted by IMH at 09:34 PM | Comments (0)

Greater Manchester IT Branch Meeting

The next meeting of UNITE’s Greater Manchester IT Branch is:

5:30-7pm, Thursday 5th November
Room 34GCR2, MAN34

As well as normal branch business and discussing what’s going on in Fujitsu, we will also have a guest speaker from the CWU to explain first-hand what is going on with the Royal Mail dispute.

Posted by IMH at 09:34 PM | Comments (0)

November 03, 2009

Joint Letter from Unite and PCS to Fujitsu

Please see here for the joint letter from Unite and PCS to Fujitsu.

Posted by IMH at 02:47 PM | Comments (0)

November 02, 2009

Obituaries

Graham Goddard

Members will be sad to hear of the death of Graham Goddard, UNITE Deputy General Secretary, at the age of 51. Graham had been ill for some time. An obituary has been published on the UNITE web site.

Members in Manchester may remember Graham braving howling gales to address a strike rally outside Fujitsu Central Park in January 2007.

Marek Edelman

Marek Edelman was the last surviving leader of the uprising of Polish Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto in 1943. At this time around 6000 Jews were being deported every day from the Ghetto to the death camps. About 220 “boys” with pistols and home-made explosives took on over 2000 well equipped German troops, knowing they had no chance of victory.

After the war Marek chose to remain in Poland, in recent years living in Lodz, where Fujitsu has recently opened an office. He continued to stand up for his beliefs, including being interned in the early 1980s for his involvement in the Polish trade union Solidarnosc.

Many obituaries have been written following his death, including in the Guardian, Independent and Telegraph.

With the increasing threat of the BNP, EDL and other fascist organisations across Europe, it is worth remembering our history.

Posted by IMH at 06:07 PM | Comments (0)

Fujitsu’s Half-Year Results

Our national email newsletter on 28th October looked behind the figures recently released for Fujitsu UK & Ireland.

The Fujitsu Group, our parent company, made a number of announcements on 28th October relating to the half-year point:

  • Net income up from 15 billion Yen (~£101m) to 43.2 billion Yen (~£292m)
  • The profitability of the core Technology Solutions business, comprising IT services and system platforms, rebounded strongly in the second quarter compared with the first quarter
  • Latest forecasts for the whole financial year are for net sales up on last year, operating income up on last year and last year’s loss turned into a profit this year.
  • A half-year “interim dividend” of over 6 billion Yen (~£42m) will be paid to shareholders

This isn’t a company that needs to take panic measures. Fujitsu can afford a fair deal on Jobs, Pay and Pensions.

Posted by IMH at 06:06 PM | Comments (0)

Local Meetings

Members in Basingstoke held another successful meeting last week. Other meetings already planned are:

· Tuesday 3rd November, Room 209, STE04, 12:30-13:30
· Thursday 5th November, CR 0-2, CRE02, 13:00-14:00
· Thursday 5th November, Room 217, SOL10, 16:00-17:30
· Thursday 5th November, Hemsworth, WAK01, 12:30-13:30

Your Combine Committee is encouraging reps and members in every area to get together now to plan for industrial action, in case it is called.

A checklist will be provided to reps to help members in these meetings to work out what needs to be done.

Posted by IMH at 06:03 PM | Comments (0)

Redundancies

This week the company intends to send out letters to individuals (by a combination of post and email) to invite them to 1:1 meetings where they will be told they have been provisionally selected for redundancy. Some of these meetings may take place late this week, but most are expected to be early next week. The letter is supposed to include the individual’s “scores” against the selection criteria, but it is currently unclear how much detail will be provided.

Applicants for Voluntary Redundancy (VR) are also expected to get a response in the same timescale. The company has had around 770 VR applications. Think how many more there can be if the company opens up VR to the rest of the company, resolves the pension/tax issue and provides accurate quotes to everyone.

The company’s proposed timeline for the redundancies is online, though not fully up-to-date. The company’s “Selection and Appeals Factsheet” is also online. All the company’s so-called “Fact Sheets” are well worth looking at, though some parts of them would be more accurately called “Fiction Sheets”. They also don’t cover the improved arrangements which apply for people in the UNITE Manchester bargaining unit.

UNITE will be providing further guidance shortly to members invited to meetings about selection for Compulsory Redundancy (CR) or rejected for Voluntary Redundancy (VR).

To assist with this, your reps are asking you to let us know your status, as soon as you know.

UNITE strongly recommends that every member attending any meeting concerned with Compulsory Redundancy (CR):

  1. Reads any documentation provided by the company, and the forthcoming UNITE guidance, carefully
  2. Prepares before the meeting
  3. Is accompanied
  4. Takes careful notes

Being provisionally selected for redundancy is not the end of the road. There are fundamentally three ways you could avoid redundancy:

  1. Changes to the overall situation arising from the campaign
  2. Appealing against selection
  3. Redeployment inside the company

Members who are selected but want to avoid redundancy need to get the balance right between these avenues (and also looking for jobs externally). This balance will not be the same for every individual.

Reps also need to get the balance right to support members effectively. There are likely to be a significant number of appeals and grievances over the next few weeks.

Soon after the company announced job losses, UNITE reps decided that:

While everyone will benefit from the work that UNITE and PCS are doing at a collective level, UNITE reps will only give individual support (in relation to these redundancies) to members who join before any selection for redundancy takes place.

This deadline has now passed. If there are jobs available, we want to ensure that members get them. It would be crazy to help a non-member to appeal successfully, as a result of which a member lost their job instead. There are still plenty of good reasons to join – not least access to information and of course the campaign.

Are you willing to volunteer to accompany another member in their initial 1-1 meeting? Please let us know. These meetings will be relatively short (less than 45 minutes) and are not part of the formal appeal process. If you volunteer, you would be asked to provide moral support to the member, take and write up notes, and help them use a checklist of questions and points that UNITE will provide. By doing so, you will help ensure that members can have their meetings with the minimum of delay, and free up your reps to focus on formal appeal meetings etc.

Posted by IMH at 05:46 PM | Comments (0)

Ballot Results

On Thursday UNITE announced the result of our industrial action ballot. PCS members in Fujitsu also voted for industrial action. The results are summarised below:

Union

% for strike

% for action short of strike

UNITE

74%

92%

PCS

67%

85%


These are large majorities for strike action and action short of strike from both unions, sending a clear message to the company that staff won’t tolerate their current approach to Jobs, Pay and Pensions.

Messages of congratulation for the impressive votes and the stand members are taking have been coming in from across the trade union movement.

Though members have clearly decided they are prepared to take action, this is always a last resort – everyone would prefer a negotiated settlement. UNITE and PCS are calling on the company to open talks. It would be irresponsible of senior management to put out dire warnings about the potential consequences of industrial action, but then fail to lift a finger to avoid it.

Let’s remember what we’re campaigning for:

Jobs:
1. Minimise job losses
2. Oppose compulsory redundancies
Pay:
3. A fairer pay system
4. More money for employees
Pensions:
5. Defend the ICL DB Pension scheme
6. Improve pension provision for those with something worse

Fujitsu can easily afford to settle this dispute. Much of what employees want to see is things Fujitsu should be doing anyway, things that many other companies do already, and things Fujitsu has sometimes done in the past.

Please note that so far the unions have NOT called any industrial action. You will be clearly notified if and when UNITE calls any action.

Fujitsu currently proposes to dismiss redundant employees on 11th December, leaving little time for delay. Your elected Combine Committee is discussing possible dates for strike action if the dispute is not settled and the company does not ease the time pressure on jobs and pensions. They are also discussing the idea of a variety of action short of strike on an ongoing basis. UNITE is working with PCS to coordinate our plans.

Though UNITE is NOT calling any industrial action at this stage, your Combine Committee is asking reps, contacts and members in every area to plan now for action. The better we prepare now, the greater the chances that the action won’t be needed. See the section on “Local Meetings” below for details.

Posted by IMH at 05:42 PM | Comments (0)