Workers at Japanese electronics giant Fujitsu are staging a 48-strike from today (Thursday) in opposition to proposed UK-wide job and pension cuts.
The multi-national firm announced plans last October to cut 1,800 from its 10,000-workforce across the UK, with fears for the future of the 800 staff in the north.
The company, which has two centres in Belfast and Derry has already closed its network and telecoms maintenance and repair centre in Antrim at the cost of 40 jobs and there are growing concerns more losses will follow.
Members of trade union Unite at several sites including London, Belfast, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Manchester will take part in the walkout in response to the uncertainty.
Unite national officer Ian Tonks said the way Fujitsu is treating its workforce and keeping them in the dark over its plans for the future is "beyond contempt".
"This is a workforce that has worked hard to make Fujitsu in the UK highly profitable, yet their reward is job cuts and pension reductions, while the company frustrates Unite's attempts to minimise compulsory redundancies.
"Fujitsu needs to start seriously engaging with Unite to avoid further industrial action, which could stretch into the summer," he said.
Announcing plans to streamline operations last year Fujitsu said the move was not due to Brexit, but to "remain competitive in the market".
