French IT services company
Steria faces industrial action
over its plans to transfer to India jobs on a contract with the
Co-operative banking group.
The trade union,
Unite, is to ballot
its members in Steria following the company's announcement of plans
to make more than 30 compulsory redundancies among Manchester IT
staff working for
Co-operative Financial Services (CFS).
Richard Lynch, Unite Negotiating Officer, said, "These cutbacks
bring to 90 the number of voluntary or compulsory redundancies in
the Steria CFS account since the summer and we fear that there may
be more over the coming period."
"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 result of the ballot is expected on 10 November.
In a statement, Steria said: "Steria in the UK is constantly and
consistently reviewing efficiencies and strategy to ensure we
deliver value on all of our client accounts in the UK.
"The challenge of continually delivering an industrious, leaner
business model for our clients and their customers is crucial in
today's economic environment.
"As part of that programme our Co-operative Financial Services
account has been reviewed to ensure we strive to develop and
maintain our high levels of competitive service and
efficiencies.
"A very small number of UK posts have been identified as at risk of
redundancy. This represents just 0.6% of our 5,000 UK
workforce.
"Steria is an employer of choice for many people who chose a career
in our industry.
"Steria’s management teams are making strenuous efforts to make
sure that the risks of compulsory redundancies are reduced and that
alternative positions are identified for those at risk.
"We are disappointed that in this instance Unite have felt it
necessary to ballot members on the Co-operative Financial Services
site. Steria is in close talks with Unite and redundancies are
identified not in terms of potential profit but in the real
business context of making this business unit more competitive and
streamlined, thereby safeguarding other crucial UK based
roles."