IBM cutting 111,800 of its staff.

I'm sorry, I just have to interject about a comment someone made earlier.

"America will become a third world country"

I suggest you actually look up how 1st world, 2nd world and 3rd world countries are defined.

en.wikipedia.org...

Its nothing to do with economics, or living conditions, at all. Its known as the "Three World Model", the wikipedia article I linked explains it better than I could. But basically, Americas, and western Europe, the so called 'Western Block' countries, are considered 1st world. Eastern Block countries, ie, Russia etc, are 2nd world. Third world didn't originally exist, but nowdays is taken to mean anything thats not 1st or 2nd.

So unless America ceases to be part of the western block countries, it will always be first world, no matter what state its economy is in.

originally posted by: Losonczy
a reply to: bobs_uruncle

If the people really want to rise up against the man...they can start their own businesses. Carry the costs, get the insurance, pay the taxes. See what it feels like to pay taxes on their employees. Pay for employees in some cases that don't do a damn thing. Deal with the stress of letting them go, pay their unemployment when you've made a bad hire. I'm not saying big business doesn't make profit, have waste and serve self-interest. BUT...at the end of the day, the myth of "the man" holding you down...as something you bitch about day to day can be solved in a simple way. Suck it up...do it yourself. You'll get a lot of freedom...and...you'll learn fast how quickly the costs of establishment are on your shoulders. Entrepreneurship is the only way to put your money where your mouth is.

I've been doing that for years, since the 90's anyway ;-) And I continue to fight against the corrupt idiots in government.

Cheers - Dave

There is a website for IBM employees but I'm not sure I'm allowed to post a link on here? It appears the layoffs have started.

These employees are angry. They're getting a performance score of 3 (the worst you can get) and getting axed without any paperwork or a PIP (performance improvement plan) They do this so that you don't qualify for a severance package. That's pretty rotten!!

The layoffs have started:

www.wraltechwire.com...

a reply to: texasgirl

Thank you for the update texasgirl shocking behaviour from a company that made 10 s of billions in profit's last year

a reply to: texasgirl

Yeah it's the website that's been trying to get a union in there for over a decade.

I heard England got hit by 10,000 so far. Nothing else yet.

originally posted by: ~Lucidity
a reply to: texasgirl



Yeah it's the website that's been trying to get a union in there for over a decade.



I heard England got hit by 10,000 so far. Nothing else yet.

I have been trying to access the website in the last hour and it's been down. I noticed there were a ton of posts in a matter of minutes so it's possible the heavy traffic crashed it.

Australia is getting hit hard, too, but I don't have any numbers.

a reply to: texasgirl
Yeah it's def down. Gee I wonder why.

No activity on their Twitter account since yesterday either.

originally posted by: ~Lucidity
a reply to: texasgirl

Yeah it's def down. Gee I wonder why.



No activity on their Twitter account since yesterday either.

The website is back up now. Tons of comments from IBMers getting a surprising first-ever "3" score and being released. If you get a 3 then you only get 13 weeks severance instead of the 26. This is how IBM is saving money.

Lots of comments agreeing that Cringely was right with the total number of layoffs that will happen.

a reply to: douglas5

This doesn't surprise me anymore.
In this era, Richest people only want to get richer and richer.
A drop in yearly profit will be seen by them as a Loss.
And more of their employees will get axed.

peace

originally posted by: douglas5
a reply to: Blackmarketeer

I did see this story across a few sources and when Forbes carried it you kind of go with it

Another trouble with the Computer is that these Indian employees can actually do the work in India. Which will save the firm even more money. They will also consider their pay excellent, and cost will be way down. What a great idea, if I want to ask something from my internet supplier, Its always an Indian in India, that wishes me a good day. However during one skirmish, I was talking to a call centre in the Philippines. So not only do these Corporations pay little tax they don't even employ nationals from the country that they are operating from. Goody! at this rate we wont have to work anymore, and kiss the bosses ass because we wont have one.

a reply to: anonentity

You can actually buy a new build flat in India for about $ 30-40 k , maybe some ex- employees should sell up and go over

originally posted by: dodol
a reply to: douglas5

A drop in yearly profit will be seen by them as a Loss.

Actually, thats not quite true. If the company fails to make MORE profit than it made in the previous year, then its seen as a loss, even if they made the same profit, and this mindset is why the cost of goods keeps going up. If they made LESS profit, then its a HUGE LOSS in their eyes.

a reply to: douglas5

Indians are quite nice people, and its a very interesting country. But in this case the fruits of globalisation are quite clear. In the end the wages will have to go down to compete with the cheap international labour force. Although the goods will also drop in price . I cant really see enough people partaking in the economies to actually have any money to buy anything. Which will in itself end up counterproductive.

We are seeing this in certain sectors of the society now. When it reaches a tipping point, it wont be very nice.

a reply to: anonentity

I think the announcement today about the 1 % having a bug out location is a bit strange in the press almost like telling the population to expect trouble and riot's

Not so long ago India was telling America that it would have as meny middle class as the U.S had people

did we listen

a reply to: douglas5

That's why the dollar is getting booty busted. Investors are pulling out and spending money on transport and consumer goods in countries like India. I'm sure North Africa and other major hot spots for this new Silk Road China is talking about are beginning to look more lucrative.

originally posted by: onequestion

Yup, a basic income and a smaller workweek is where we are going people. Its unavoidable why do we continue to resist it?

Because the cost of living has remained the same, or actually gone up in many cases.

No worries though congress will vote a pay increase for everyone, oh wait that was only for themselves.

originally posted by: Blackmarketeer
That's funny, because IBM just hired 6,190 H-1B foreign workers from India last year. This is not a sign of IBM struggling or failing or going under - this is just another American company gutting its American work force in favor of dirt cheap tech workers they can import for a fraction of the cost of their traditional American worker. Guarantee you, that if you compare the hiring of H-1B workers at IBM in the past few years to the number they have laid off or fired, there will be a strong correlation.

Well, those 6,190 employees should cover the 112,000 they fired then.....

a reply to: douglas5

I think the announcement today about the 1 % having a bug out location is a bit strange...

There was no such announcement. That was a quote from someone at the World Economic Forum taken out of context by a sneaky journalist at the Mirror to get a rise out of people.

a reply to: Chrisfishenstein

Well, those 6,190 employees should cover the 112,000 they fired then.....

I don't believe the numbers have been released yet.

I'd put the over/under bet at 25K. I'm taking "under"