We held the 5th meeting of IBM Workers International Solidarity (IWIS) from May 22nd to May 25th 1991,in Roma,Italy. The representatives, came from 9 countries, belonging to 11 Unions or Organisations of IBM workers: FIM-CISL, FIOM-CGIL and UILM-UIL, Italian Union national secretaries, were also presents.

The meettng was held "in memoriam" Hisao Dengo. our Japanese Comrade who died in February 1991 , who so much contributed to create and strengthen IWIS. The main concern of this meeting where we exchanged information, experiences and opinions about the situation in IBM was FULL EMPLOYMENT threatened by RESTRUCTURING. We realised that FULL EMPLOYMENT was one of the IBM principles and it is not any more. Almost every country has experienced:

• decrease of employment in manufacturing with the perspective of closing some plants;
• increase of subcontracting;
• intention to remove indirect activities from the plants;
• increase of part-time and temporary people replacing full time;
• forcing people into early retirement;
• increase of workload and overtime hours and, particularly in plants, significant increase of shift work;
• selling the activities that IBM considers not to be "core business".

Restructuring is not only done by selling parts of IBM, but also:

• by widely expanding the network of partners and affiliates which are already several thousands; · by restructuring aIl IBM divisions so that they can become very quickly independent ... and then affiliation or selling could be easier.

All these decisions have severe consequences on skills, careers and salaries.

We must remind everyone that people working in IBM are the most important resource in the Company.

So when such restructuring occurs, at least the following points must really be taken into account:

• respect for individuals who must flot just be considered as headcount;
• social responsibility implied;
• full employment commitment;
• securing professional skills and careers.

ln this context the anti-Union policy of IBM is another obstacle to find positive solutions to the problems.

To defend the rights of workers IWIS calls for

FULL EMPLOYMENT DAY

in IBM on 5eptember 19th, 1991.