Erskine, Scotland – Hewlett Packard (HP) plans to cut a total of 5,700 jobs in its Europe, Middle East and Africa region (EMEA) over the next two years.
A company spokeswoman said the job cuts were related to HP’s global job cut program, and result from falling demand.
She declined to say how large a share of the job cuts would be related to HP’s global savings program, announced on May 19, when the company revealed plans to slash some 6,400 staff worldwide.
The company is to move Enterprise, Storage and Server production from Germany and Scotland to the Czech Republic by the end of 2010.
Some 850 of the 1,300 people employed by the firm in Erskine, Scotland, are to be axed as the company said it would ‘continue to offer the best possible value to our customers.’
Local Member of Parliament Jim Sheridan accused the firm of abandoning its workforce, saying: “It is disgusting. These workers are being tossed aside after helping to make vast profits for HP.”
The Erskine plant was opened in 1987 by Compaq which was taken over by HP in 2002. At one point, more than 2,500 people worked at the site.
Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, said ‘everything would be done’ to assist those made redundant.
