The Public and Commercial Services union has called off today’s scheduled strike action after settling pay differences with government IT outsourcing supplier Fujitsu, although parallel action by Unite members is still set to go ahead.
The PCS action would have affected a range of high-profile Fujitsu public sector clients including Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and the Home Office.
The union said the IT services supplier had doubled (or increased by £500,000) the amount of money that it plans to make available for salary increases, translating into a pay rise of around 11% for the lowest paid workers.
The rise will also be backdated and £500 in compensation paid to workers whose pay date was prior to 1 August, which includes staff without a contractual pay date. The PCS added that a "structured progression system" would be introduced for low-paid employees at two sites where most are based.
In contrast, Unite is adamant that its 24-hour walk-outs at the computer firm’s Crewe and Manchester offices will still go ahead, with some 300 or so staff expected to take part.
The union accuses Fujitsu of "breaking agreements covering issues including union recognition, pay, benefits, pensions, redundancy and redeployment,” claiming “attempts to resolve the disputes in Crewe and Manchester by negotiation have not yet been successful".
