HP prepares to scrap a further 1,300 UK jobs

Hewlett-Packard (HP) is preparing to slash a further 1,300 British jobs and move production overseas – a decision that led one trade union to describe the company as a "butcher".

The US technology giant has announced more than 2,000 UK job losses since June. Peter Skyte, the national officer for the Unite union, said: "Despite significant profits, HP appears hell-bent on continuing to butcher its highly skilled UK workforce ... Morale is at an all-time low."

HP said the cutbacks were part of a $1bn (£629m) restructuring of its services business, confirmed in June. As part of the overhaul, it plans to axe 9,000 staff from its global workforce, while filling 6,000 new posts.

HP said: "[We are] in consultation with the appropriate representative bodies within the UK regarding potential workforce changes which were announced on 1 June 2010. The company has not publicly stated when the consultation will end or when staff will depart."

It has been a turbulent few months for HP, which lost its chief executive, Mark Hurd, when he resigned after making inappropriate expenses payments involving a contractor.