Workers braced as 640 jobs face axe

A FIRM which provides computer services to companies across the UK has announced plans to cut 640 jobs with workers in Leeds and Chesterfield fearing the worst.

Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) started a formal 90-day consultation with unions yesterday, saying in a statement: “This action is necessary because the IT services market is changing, and our customers want competitive, new services with different contract and delivery models.

“Through voluntary redundancies and redeploying people within other parts of our business, we hope to achieve a significant reduction without the need for compulsory redundancies. Where this is not possible, we will provide support to help ensure that anyone leaving the business does so in the best possible position.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Our employees will naturally be concerned during this period of uncertainty, which is why we have initiated employee briefings to help them through this difficult situation.

“CSC remains fully committed to the UK market. We are confident that these carefully targeted and managed reductions will not impact the overall quality of service we provide to our customers.”

Unite said the news will mean that 1,100 job losses have been announced by CSC since February.

Following several weeks of consultation over a reduction of staff working on an NHS contract, yesterday’s move had come “totally out of the blue”, according to Unite.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

National officer Kevin O’Gallagher said: “This announcement of a further 640 job cuts has dealt our members a severe body blow and left them absolutely devastated.”

Last week, Unite members from CSC’s Chesterfield, Chorley, Leeds and Solihull sites took part in lunch-time protests over jobs.

A Unite spokesman said it was unclear where the job cuts would hit hardest.

He added; “There’s a meeting next week when we will find out more. It could be just a few sites or across the board. There are quite a lot of home workers too.”