Hewlett-Packard to Cut 6,000 European Jobs
(Sept.05) –
Hewlett-Packard Co. told union leaders Monday it plans to cut a total
of 6,000 jobs across Europe, including 1,240 French jobs, a trade union
official said.
Fabrice Breton of the Christian CFTC trade union said executives at the
computer and printer maker confirmed the cuts in a meeting with staff
representatives earlier Monday.
“Management confirmed the 1,240 (French) job cuts during the meeting
but did not specify the sites concerned,” Breton said in a telephone
interview.
Chief Executive Mark Hurd announced plans in July to cut 14,500 jobs
and overhaul HP’s retirement plan in a restructuring designed to save
$1.9 billion a year and help the company become more competitive
against formidable rivals.
HP has been squeezed between two formidable competitors: International
Business Machines Corp. and its strong consulting team at the high end
of the market, and PC maker Dell Inc. at the low-cost end.
No one was immediately available at HP’s French headquarters to comment on the job-cuts announcement.
French Deputy Labor Minister Gerard Larcher said Saturday he had asked
for a meeting with HP executives to discuss the layoffs, widely
reported in the French press over the weekend.