Hewlett Packard IT workers strike

More than 1,000 PCS union members at Hewlett Packard struck on Friday of last week over pay and job losses.

The strike hit four sites where staff are working mainly on IT contracts for the Department for Work and Pensions, the Ministry of Defence and General Motors.

Since Hewlett Packard took over the sites in 2008 it has axed 3,400 workers, with 1,000 more planned. It also imposed a pay freeze last year.

A packed meeting in Preston voted 65 to one for the strike last week.

Branch officer John Pearson said, “The meetings we’ve had have shown the strength of feeling. We will fight any redundancies and we are demanding a decent pay rise.”