HP cull of workers is "butchery"

Hewlett Packard plans to axe 1,300 jobs

Union leaders have described computer firm Hewlett Packard’s (HP) plan to axe 1,300 jobs this month as “butchery”, and questioned the viability of the UK’s future as a hi-tech engineering centre.

The firm, which has sites throughout Britain, is making the job cuts as it prepares to switch work overseas. 

Trade union Unite said HP appeared “hellbent” on reducing its skilled workforce, with the cuts following 900 job losses announced in June that are to take place by the end of this month. 

Nearly 4,000 jobs have been scrapped by the company in the UK during the last two years. That figure is set to rise to more than 6,000.

Unite national officer Peter Skyte said: “Despite significant profits HP appears hellbent on continuing to butcher its highly skilled UK workforce. It is increasingly difficult for HP employees in the UK to plan for their futures when the threat of redundancy is continually hanging over their heads. Morale is at an all-time low.

“Lax employment protection in the UK compared to other European countries means that the UK is bearing the brunt of cuts, as it’s quicker and cheaper to sack UK people and export their jobs abroad,” he added.

Unite said the cuts brought into question the government’s assumption that the hi-tech private sector will spark growth and new jobs in the UK.

HP said: “This is an initiative to transform HP’s enterprise services business to benefit clients.”