A Liberal
MPhas called for thegovernment to blacklist IBMbecause of
its plans to cut the terms of worker pensions.
Sandra Gidley is MP for
Romsey in Hampshire. The county is the home to about 6,000 IBM
workers at a
research base in Hursley, near Winchester.
According to a report in the Daily Echo, Sandra Gidley said
IBM should be blacklisted over its "disgraceful" plans to cut
pensions terms for its workforce.
IBM announced to employees that it would
close its final salary pension scheme in April 2011, a year
later than originally proposed. It also announced enhanced company
contributions for the first two years to a replacement money
purchase scheme, and the retention of current death and ill-health
benefits.
But Unite said the changes lacked substance and represented
"pain for employees and gain for executives."
The union says the proposals have caused a
backlash from thousands of staff.
Gidley told the Daily Echo she had written to the government,
asking them to review their existing contracts with IBM. She also
asked the government to disregard IBM for future contracts until
the company promises a better deal for its longest serving
employees.
"Many workers at the Hursley site who will be reaching
retirement age within the next ten years are rightly furious that
IBM bosses are going back on clear verbal commitments made by
senior managers in 2006 that the pension scheme will not be
reduced."
But one of Gidley’s opponents in the next general election
criticised the call for a blacklisting.
Caroline Nokes, Conservative candidate for Romsey and Southampton
North, said: “Whilst the pensions row needs urgent attention,
calling for a blanket government boycott on a business that
employees 6,000 people across Hampshire is irresponsible to say the
least, particularly in a recession.”
“Whilst I’m sure her intentions were honourable, Sandra Gidley’s
outburst could threaten hundreds if not thousands of jobs in the
local area and she needs to consider the implications this could
have on hard working families before jumping on the boycott
bandwagon,” she added.