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UNI Global Union and IndustriAll European Trade Union bring together European trade unions to address HP job cuts
Berlin 19 October - UNI Global Union and IndustriAll Europe, together with more than a dozen unions, today launched a European alliance to coordinate a unified plan to address Hewlett Packard (HP)’s decision to cut over 8,000 staff from its Europe-based operations by 2014 without proper explanation or consultation.
Marcus Courtney, Head of UNI ICTS said, “HP has acted in a high-handed manner over its plans to cut jobs. HP management has not been transparent about informing employees in individual countries how the job cuts will affect them. HP has flagrantly disregarded its obligations to inform and consult under its European Works Council Agreement.”
Luc Triangle, industriAll European Trade Union Deputy General Secretary said “The new alliance will present a united union front on the European level and will challenge HP to change its plans and secure sustainable jobs. Together we will present a force that HP will not be able to ignore.”
HP has approximately 350,000 employees worldwide, of which more than 80,000 are based in Europe. More than a dozen trade unions in ten different European countries represent HP employees. In addition, a series of national works councils or representative bodies and a European Works Council also represent HP employees.
In 2012, HP announced that it would cut 29,000 jobs globally, including 8,000+ in Europe, by 2014. Not only did the company fail to provide adequate information to employee representatives at the national level, it also disregarded the procedures for information and consultation under its European Works Council Agreement. In order to effectively influence the company to change its current employee policy and secure sustainable jobs in the future, a united trade union front in HP is needed at the European level.
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