Indian IT gets a 'French kick'

LONDON, INDIA: IT workers employed by French IT service provider Steria in Manchester and Skelmersdale have recently announced to go on strike over compulsory redundancies and the offshoring of their jobs to India.

The workers, who provide IT support to co-operative financial services, are members of the Unite Trade Union and 31 of them are facing compulsory redundancy because of Steria's offshoring policies, said a press release.

They also fear that more jobs would be lost to India once those currently under threat have gone. The strike witnessed the participation of 93 workers in the Union ballot, with 71 per cent voting for strike action and 89 per cent voting for action short of a strike.

Unite has planned to meet Steria next week in a last-ditch attempt to save the jobs of those who wish to remain with the company and to seek assurances for future job security, it added If the attempt fails, it has anticipated that industrial action would follow at an early date.

Richard Lynch, Unite's negotiating officer for the IT Sector, said, "The vote for industrial action is a clear reflection of our members' anger that their jobs are being offshored to India at a time of increasing economic uncertainty in the UK.”

He added that they believe that this export of jobs is unacceptable in the current climate and they would urge Steria to halt the compulsory redundancies and to reconsider its plans to offshore 70 per cent of the work on this account.