Ding ding: IBM rings bell for round two of job cuts at GTS

IBM has told foot soldiers in the Global Technology Services operation to brace themselves for a second round of redundancies in the UK. Chris Wilson, director of the Technical Support Services division within GTS, told staff in a memo on Friday that it is “forming” an Employee Consultation Committee. This body will “ …

[Antron Argaiv]

Employee Consultation Committee

Ahh...the old "let the workers think they have some input" trick.

Spoiler: management is going to carefully listen to all the workers' concerns, then do whatever they had planned to do in the first place, which is likely "lay them all off".

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Employee Consultation Committee

Yep. As an Employee Rep said to me years ago "it's consultation, not negotiation".

In telling the employees they will be made redundant they are deemed to have "consulted" them.

[earl grey]

Re: Employee Consultation Committee

You forgot the "bend them all over" before the "lay them all off".

[Anonymous Coward]

Always the same

Had this back in 2007

And last year, albeit I was a contractor simply watching headcount be reduced

This is their business model now.

Get offshore labour to do anything which can be done offshore. Abilities and suitability be damned.

They do it to reap profits.

I want a law: if a business operates in the UK it's staff must operate in the UK. No offshore anything.

What good is a help desk in India to the UK economy?

[ToddR]

In Resource Action - IBM’s euphemism for job cuts

Assuming phases like this come from the latest and greatest MBA, business studies courses, why would anyone want to spend money and waste time so as to be able to make up non-sense sentences, and losing ones testicles as well?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: In Resource Action - IBM’s euphemism for job cuts

But the PHB's have no testicles.

Ginny took them ages ago. I hear she plays marbles with them.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Always the same

It isn't good for the UK economy.

Its just good for the big fat dirty bonus the PHBs get (usually right before they fuck off somewhere else just as the shit really hits the fan)....

[Howard Hanek]

Upper Management Requirement

Top tier IBM managers are required to have the ability to say 'you're fired' in twenty six languages.

[Anonymous Coward]

The invisible man

'Represent the permanent employee population of the Technical Support Services" made me laugh. No one at IBM is part of any permanent employee population, in any geo or any role. Anyone that thinks so, please share your drugs.

[Sir Loin Of Beef]

What about the USA?

Any word if they scythe is headed this way?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: What about the USA?

Of course it is headed for the US. But it'll hàve to be quick because, if the usual sorry pattern carries on, HPE UK will have it booked out for Friday

[Anonymous Coward]

IBM....

The most unethical, incompetent, lying bunch of arse-hats I've ever had the misfortune to have worked for.

The only company where, when I finished a days work, I really felt the need to take a long hot shower because their ethics stank as much as their work practices.

[Anonymous Coward]

Automation

Given the move towards automation in the tech industry, can I assume that this article republishes itself every 3 months?

[Anonymous Coward]

Time Capture

UK Staff have had to install a system to record their activities, think TIM study spyware for company computers.

Staff have to log everything down to trips to the toilet and tea breaks while the spy in the cab monitors what they are doing the rest of the time.

But this is not connected with redundency plans of course, it is 100% about helping people make more efficient use of their time and to ease their workload. "Cough Cough" sorry something stuck in my throat.

[Millsey]

Re: Time Capture

first I've heard of this and I am a UK IBM employee

[Anonymous Coward]

Round 2? IBM Australia doesn't even bother having RA waves any more. It's anyone, anytime. I didn't know there could be less uncertainty and lower morale than there was before, but now you never know if tomorrow's going to be your last day.

[DartfordMan]

Brexit could screw IBM UK

Maybe this is why IBM wants to stay in Europe. Once there is no-one left in UK and they have to ship people in for every project they are going to drown in paperwork to get workers through the Tunnel. Its nearly enough to make me vote to leave.