LONDON, November 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Workers employed by French IT service provider Steria in Manchester and Skelmersdale have voted to strike over compulsory redundancies and the offshoring of their jobs to India.

The workers, who provide IT support to Co-operative Financial Services, are members of the Unite trade union and 31 of them are facing compulsory redundancy because of Steria's offshoring policies. They also fear that more jobs will be lost to India once those currently under threat have gone.

93 workers participated in the Union ballot, with 71% voting for strike action and 89% voting for action short of a strike.

Unite is meeting Steria next week in a last-ditch attempt to save the jobs of those who wish to remain with the Company and to seek assurances for future job security. If that attempt fails, it is anticipated that industrial action will follow at an early date.

Richard Lynch, Unite's Negotiating Officer for the IT Sector, said:

The vote for industrial action is a clear reflection of our members' anger that their jobs are being offshored to India at a time of increasing economic uncertainty in the UK.

We believe that this export of jobs is unacceptable in the current climate and we urge Steria to halt the compulsory redundancies and to reconsider its plans to offshore 70% of the work on this account.

For further information please contact Richard Lynch on +44(0)7734-683-828.