Workers at the Manchester offices of Japanese transnational Fujitsu demonstrated outside the building today against the victimisation of union representatives and whistle-blowers.
Since October 2016, members of the Unite union have been in dispute with the computer giant over its plans to sack 10 per cent of its 18,000-strong workforce in Britain.
Unite representatives also revealed that the company was paying its female staff 16 per cent less than their male counterparts.
Fujitsu workers have staged strikes in Basingstoke, Belfast, Birmingham, Bracknell, Crewe, Edinburgh, London, Manchester, Stevenage, Wakefield and Warrington.
In Manchester, the company is accused of sacking a veteran union representative under the cover of redundancy. The dismissal was the latest in a series of alleged company victimisations of trade union activists.
Today’s protest took place during a visit by Duncan Tait, Fujitsu’s chief executive for Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa.
Unite national officer Louisa Bull said: “Unite believes that Fujitsu is trying to silence whistle-blowers by dismissing some and showing that it can make compulsory redundancies even when these are in breach of its agreements, employees’ contracts or the law.
“Taxpayers and clients need to know what is going on at Fujitsu. Those blowing the whistle should not be sacked.
“Unite is demanding transparency and the reinstatement of our union representative. It is also time to end the unfair targeting of Unite members fighting for their jobs and for Fujitsu to adhere to its own agreements and ethical standards.”
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