Union claims strike led to missed SLAs at HP

HP is feeling the cost of disaffected workers

The union at the centre of an industrial dispute involving workers at HP today claimed that the IT giant has had to pay compensation to customers as a direct result of recent strike action by the staff.

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) said that HP had been fined because it had failed to meet service level agreements.

The industrial action involves workers at HP's EDS unit in the north of England who are campaigning for better job security and pay. HP has frozen pay at the unit and axed some 3,400 staff, with another 1,000 jobs at risk.

Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said last week, “HP staff have been slapped in the face with job losses and a pay freeze for two years running. It is disgraceful that staff should be treated in such a way as they shoulder greater workloads to help generate good profit levels.

"The company needs to start valuing all staff and recognise the crucial part they play in its success by giving guarantees on job security and a fair pay rise.”

Today, PCS national officer Jim Hanson said HP had got it's priorities wrong: “I think it's regrettable that the company would choose to pay fines rather than settle the dispute with its workers.”

However, HP is denying the PCS claims.

"HP worked closely with the customers who might have been impacted by the PCS strike to ensure we met our service level agreements with these customers," an HP spokeswoman told V3.co.uk.

"HP did not incur any penalties as a result of the recent strike action by the PCS Union."

The striking staff mainly work on HP contracts with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Ministry of Defence (MoD) and General Motors.