Fujitsu to slash 120 jobs

Updated 15.45 Wed Apr 16 2008

Keywords: Gordon Brown, job cuts, Fujitsu

Japanese telecommunications firm Fujitsu is to cut 120 jobs from one of its UK centres.

Workers at the company's premises in Birmingham were told their jobs would be transferred to the United States.

The Birmingham site makes telecoms equipment for the global group's European clients

Fujitsu Telecommunications said it was proposing to consolidate its manufacturing activities at a site in Texas while retaining assembly, test and other facilities at the plant in Solihull.

The site makes telecoms equipment for the global group's European clients.

The news comes a month after Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited the site with Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and Immigration Minister Liam Byrne to mark the launch of the Government's points system for foreign workers.

Fujitsu was chosen for the ministerial visit as it was seen as a prime example of a UK company employing a significant percentage of its workforce - eight per cent - from overseas.

Bill McClory, deputy general secretary of the Communication Workers Union, said: "We condemn this move by Fujitsu and will fight the transfer of jobs abroad."