LONDON - Amicus, one of Britain's largest unions, warned Thursday that plans by US computer giant IBM to shed up to 13,000 employees worldwide could hit British workers the heaviest.
With IBM operating 35 sites employing more than 25,000 staff across Britain, an Amicus official said the union was seeking urgent talks with the company.
"We fear the worst, given that it is quicker, cheaper and easier to get rid of workers in the UK than elsewhere in Europe," Amicus' National officer Peter Skyte said.
An IBM spokesman would not be drawn Thursday over whether jobs would be axed in Britain.
"IBM is not breaking out numbers on a country by country basis," spokesman Joe Hanley said.
IBM said the job cuts, announced late Wednesday, were part of a restructuring focused on its struggling European operations.
In a statement issued just after the New York stock exchange closed, IBM said it foresaw reducing its 329,000-strong workforce through "voluntary and involuntary" cuts of 10,000 to 13,000 employees worldwide.
"This announcement by IBM is a slash and burn approach to first-quarter financial results aimed at boosting the share price and the resulting share options of senior US executives," Skyte added.
"IBM is behaving like the worst 19th century farmer -- hiring for the harvest and firing at the end of the season -- and treating skilled IT professionals as mere commodities of the market."
05/05/2005 12:59 GMT