Fujitsu workers to take strike action over pay

Workers employed by scandal-hit Fujitsu Services UK are to take strike action later this month after being offered a pay rise almost ten times less than their Japanese counterparts.  

The more than 300 Public and Commercial Services (PCS) members working predominantly for HMRC will walk out on January 17 after they were offered a pay rise of between 3-4% while Fujitsu workers in Japan were offered up to 29%.

Some members with crucial IT roles fixing HMRC computers and protecting critical HMRC high end user systems will be taking additional action from January 18 to February 15.

The strike action is likely to disrupt those seeking to complete their self-assessment tax returns by the end of the month.

These striking workers have nothing to do with the Horizon scandal, which has seen calls for Fujitsu to lose UK government contracts.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “Why is the UK government giving Fujitsu lucrative contracts when the company treats its UK workers so badly?

“Why is it workers in Japan are deemed worthy of a pay rise almost ten times more than those in the UK?

“Fujitsu made £ 22m profit last year in the UK, so it can afford to pay our members a decent wage – it just chooses not to.

“Our government should be standing up for our members, demanding a fair pay rise in line with Japanese workers.”