IBM has started laying-off staff in the wake of its
announcement
of strong fourth quarter financial
results, a union website has
reported.
Postings by union members on the Alliance@IBM union website
predict there will be
16,000 job cuts this week.
The posting, which put the lay-off date as 23 January, said most
job cuts would take place in the US, and that upper management had
signed confidentiality agreements to keep the cuts quiet.
"We got hit today...10% of the group got let go...and after
record quarter and record year," reads a posting made shortly after
the fourth quarter results were announced.
A posting from Austin, Texas says, "28 people out of 45 cut.
Young and old, top and bottom performers. Never show me great 4Q
numbers again."
"The entire time has been resource actioned after the usual
announcement we made a good quarter blah blah," said a posting from
Atlanta.
"Stocks up 9% right now....and they're laying folks off.
Unreal," said another.
According to US media, IBM has declined to comment on reports of
job cuts by employees.
Alliance@IBM recently called on
IBM to halt offshoring plans and suspend its stock buyback
programme instead of cutting US jobs.
"To offshore US jobs in the middle of an economic crisis and
rising unemployment is unacceptable," said Tom Midgley, Alliance
president.