23/07/2001

Union leaders campaign against Marconi job cuts

Marconi union officials from across Europe have been asked to support a campaign against the telecom giant's plans to cut thousands of jobs.

Trade union leaders from countries including Italy, Spain and Germany, are expected to join talks with their UK colleagues at the company's European Works Council in Coventry in its efforts to stave off the cuts.

Marconi wants to cut around 4,000 jobs across the world, including 1,500 in the UK. This also includes the closer of its plant at Poole in Dorset.

Union leaders say the meeting in Coventry is an ideal opportunity for workers to organise a European-wide campaign to oppose the cuts.

One union official said: "We expect to receive strong support from our sister unions in Europe to launch a co-ordinated campaign to force Marconi to think again about these disgraceful redundancies."

Union officials have said that morale among workers was at an "all-time low". (MB)

Related Northern Ireland Business News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

18 January 2002
CIPD urges stronger employer-worker relationships
Employers need to be aware of the latest legislation regarding trade union activity, in view of the recent industrial action by both rail and postal workers, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has warned.
14 September 2001
Union leaders hold talks with Marconi
Union leaders are to hold talks with Marconi over the company’s plan to cut 2,000 jobs from its UK workforce. Some union officials have warned strike action could be called over the way the telecoms firm announced the cuts last week. The news follows the company’s relegation from the FTSE 100 index of leading listed UK firms.
06 May 2005
800 jobs to go at Marconi
Telecoms equipment manufacturer Marconi has announced that 800 jobs are to go in the UK. 450 jobs are expected to go at the firm’s site in Coventry and another 350 are expected to be lost in Liverpool. Marconi currently employs around 4,300 in the UK. The announcement comes after the company’s failure to secure a new contract with BT.
06 September 2001
Shares in mired Marconi tumble
Shares in crisis-hit telecoms equipment maker Marconi, have slumped 28 per cent to close at just 38 pence, wiping £400m off the firm's share value in one day. The FTSE 100 company has now lost 95 per cent of its value since the end of last year.
06 November 2009
BA Losses Lead To Job Cuts
British Airways has announced plans to cut and extra 1,200 jobs, after reporting a pre-tax loss of £292 million for the six months of the year until September 2009.