Press Release

Unite to fight compulsory redundancies at French IT giant in Manchester

13 October 2008

Unite, the UK’s largest union, will ballot its members in Steria, a leading French IT firm, following the company's announcement of plans to make over 30 compulsory redundancies among Manchester IT staff supporting the company’s Co-operative Financial Services (CFS) account.

The jobs are being lost among staff transferred under TUPE from CFS to Steria last year, and are the result of a decision made at the time of the transfer to cut costs by off -shoring work to India.

Richard Lynch, Unite Negotiating Officer, said: "We will resist these redundancies in any way we can, including by industrial action if necessary. We consider it neither fair nor ethical that loyal and committed staff should be forced out of their jobs, particularly at a time of rapidly-rising unemployment, so that companies can boost their profits by getting more and more work done abroad."

The staff facing compulsory redundancy, who will be told their fate on Tuesday 14 October, all work in Arndale House in Manchester.

Unite has announced a ballot for industrial action in response to the latest announcement.
"These cutbacks bring to 90 the number of voluntary or compulsory redundanciesin the Steria CFS account since the summer and we fear that there may be more over the coming period," added Richard Lynch.