Both Unisys Espana SA and NCR Espana SA have announced further cuts in their workforces. Unisys Espana has embarked on its fifth restructuring phase since 1990, which will lead to the departure of 75 workers. The latest job cuts will leave the Spanish subsidiary with a workforce of 330, less than half the number employed six years ago. Sales and administrative services are to lose 30 staff apiece, while 10 maintenance technicians will also go. Unisys claims that the restructuring plan is essential if the Spanish arm is to continue receiving injections of capital from North America. Even the severance payments have been reduced this time round, from 45 days per year worked (as agreed for the last cuts in March 1995) to 38 days. Unisys Espana personnel manager Manuel Cubero commented that this was inevitable in the light of the subsidiary’s poor results in 1995, with losses of $9.3m, up from $6.5m losses the previous year, on turnover down 19% at $80m. Meanwhile NCR Espana has also announced that it will shed at least 70 jobs, a decision that will affect staff in all areas of the company. Unionized workers have complained that there has been no collective negotiation and that no official announcements have been made, with workers being informed individually. A union spokesman commented: This is no early retirement plan, since the losses have affected both long-serving and recently-contracted staff. We see this as part of a strategy to replace the more expensive contracts with cheaper labour, because in spite of the lay-offs more workers are being taken on. The latest cuts will leave NCR Espana with a workforce of 680.
