IBM cutting 300 jobs in systems group

[Whoa_Nelly]

ARMONK, N.Y. -- IBM Corp. cut 300 jobs in its computer systems division Tuesday, about 2 percent of the unit's workforce.

The cuts were made in the systems division's development and finance groups and mainly affect San Jose, Calif., company spokesman Jim Larkin said. He said the layoffs were necessary for IBM "to rebalance skills" and remain competitive.

<snip>
Big Blue has made several similar-size cuts in its software unit in recent months, including 300 layoffs this month. Even so, IBM executives have said the company still is hiring in certain areas and plans to add 15,000 jobs overall in 2004.

more...
http://www.startribune.com/stories/535/4345484.html

[liberalhistorian]

1. Yeah, and where are those jobs

going to be added, fucking India? IBM was already either outsourcing or planning to outsource thousands of jobs there, I will never, ever do business with them ever again.

And would you believe I read a sob story about how Indian workers for American companies feel caught in the middle of things, particularly American workers' anger? TOUGH FUCKING SHIT! That's THEIR damn problem!!! If the Indian workers who are gladly taking our jobs expect me or anyone else to shed any fucking tears for them at all, they're sadly mistaken.

[Voltaire99]

5. Not the fault of Indians

Indians can hardly "take American jobs" if those jobs are given to them by American corporations, now can they? It's not as if there's theft going on: we're witnessing social devastation at home because US corporations want to maximize profits and don't care how they do it.

If you were offered a decent job, would you refuse it because your taking it meant someone on the other side of the globe would be screwed? That, in a nutshell, is global capitalism, and why we must reign in and civilize it.

[liberalhistorian]

6. I wasn't blaming the Indian workers

or saying it was their fault. But I'll be goddamned if I'm going to tolerate the American media whores trying to generate sympathy for them by writing stories about how "caught in the middle" they feel, and how we should feel sorry for them, etc., etc., the hell with that.

Why don't they try lavishing some of that sympathy on the American workers suffering because of outsourcing, and write stories about THEM and the effect on THEM and our society as a whole? I'm not blaming the Indian worker, but I sure as hell ain't gonna feel sorry for them, or feel guilty for not feeling sorry for them either, as the media whores seem to think I should.

[marie123]

8. such anger

I am afraid to tell you, t out of the 15000 new jobs IBM is talking about on 4500 will be in this country.

IBM has a whole infrastructure set up in India for computer/software support. what a disgrace they are

[liberalhistorian]

12. We have a right to that anger,

though, and I'm not going to apologize for it at all, on the contrary. And I will NEVER EVER do business with IBM EVER again.

[UpInArms]

2. IBM should no longer be

called "I've Been Moved" but "It's Been Moved" - the jobs have and are being moved to India and China

http://www.redherring.com/article.aspx?f=Articles/2004%2F01%2F0df92351-16f7-4536-992d-e187e1b9728c%2F0df92351-16f7-4536-992d-e187e1b9728c.xml&hed=Bangalore%20boom

In mid-December, IBM announced plans to shift 4,700 jobs to India and China, and last week said it would hire more than 10,000 new employees in the two countries. Accenture also plans to shift jobs to India this year, doubling its workforce in the area to 10,000. Intel, Microsoft, and SAP, among others, are also expanding in India.

[teryang]

3. This is the benefit of multi billions hand outs to IBM

...and the other big BFEE supporters. Now all the econopundits get together and chant, "the repug tax reforms are bringing two million new jobs, it's got to happen very soon, I just know it will!"

[vanityfair]

11. Right teryang...

the * government claims it is "creating jobs" but forgets to mention that they are overseas!

[POed_Ex_Repub]

4. Sneaky isn't it?

15,000 jobs "added" after "Big Blue has made several similar-size cuts in its software unit in recent months"... oh and only 4,500 of those are in the US.

Looks to me like the strategy is offshore the high paying jobs quietly and hire some low paid workers.. then come off as a hero for doing it. (Look at all the hiring we're doing! :puke:)

[hatrack]

7. "There's excitement in this economy" - G.W. Bush, 29 January 2004

Pretty exciting times, all right.

[Whoa_Nelly]

9. JOB WATCH: Tracking Jobs and Wages

<snip>
The December 2003 gain of only 1,000 jobs is a staggering 305,000 below the promised monthly increase. In fact, job growth has never reached even a third of the promised rate of 306,000 jobs a month since the tax cut was implemented in July 2003.

Overall, jobs increased by a total of 221,000 in the six months that the tax bill has been in effect. This total increase did not even reach the 510,000 jobs that President Bush promised over and above the baseline for those six months, much less the total of 1,836,000 jobs promised with the baseline included.

<snip>
Labor market not benefiting from economy's growth
Although the overall economy expanded at a promising clip over the past two quarters, these advances have not shown up in the two areas that mean the most to working families: jobs and wages.

<snip>
Greatest sustained job loss since the Great Depression]/b]
Since the recession began 33 months ago in March 2001, 2.4 million jobs have disappeared, a 1.8% contraction.



http://www.jobwatch.org/

[mbperrin]

10. Wow! Look at that *Bush job machine go!

There they go!

[Frangible]

13. I'd move to india, but...

They don't allow Americans to work there. Something about protecting jobs from foreign countries.