Workers at the multinational DXC are set to stage a 48-hour strike starting this Thursday. The protest could disrupt online banking services and ATMs, the INE website, and Renfe’s ticketing service, among others. The 7,500 DXC employees are responsible for maintaining or developing applications for clients such as CaixaBank, Banc Sabadell, Gas Natural, the RACC, and even public sector organizations.
Unions CGT, CCOO, CSI, USO, Intersindical-CSC, and part of the UGT delegates have called for a walkout at the Sant Cugat del Vallès headquarters of the consultancy to push for higher wages. The information technology and communications sector has seen strong growth, but employee conditions have not kept pace, turning a once calm industry into a hotspot for labor tensions. Last week, employees at a subsidiary of Accenture paused work for 24 hours. This week, it is DXC’s turn to begin with a two-day protest.
Labor conditions in the TIC sector have always been distinctive. Wages run high, with the average monthly gross pay around €3,690 according to the latest quarterly labor cost survey. Yet whenever the government raises the national minimum wage, several categories under the collective agreement fall short of that benchmark. Companies negotiate standard baselines and then bargain individually with workers on conditions. Historically, this has contributed to a sector with limited tradition in unions and organization. Now the unions are trying to reverse that trend.
That wage bargaining faces a challenge in today’s inflationary climate. When general pay rises occur, companies often absorb some or all of those increases by arguing they already pay above-average bonuses for the group. That approach weighs on workers’ paycheques. Union estimates indicate employees have lost about 17% of purchasing power since the COVID outbreak.
Strong corporate results
“DXC has spent years posting revenue and profit records, hiring more staff, and saving significantly on office rents thanks to remote work. We want those gains to reach the workers as well,” says a CGT spokesperson in Catalonia for the sector. Recent company results, compiled by Reuters, indicate annual revenue for the current year could reach between €13.63 and €13.67 billion.
The labor dispute between management and unions is intensifying. “We have not received a single proposal from the company. In mediations, they only sent an external lawyer to take the record,” comments a CCOO representative. This outlet has tried to contact DXC but has not received a response.
Technical disruptions anticipated
Union leaders expect close monitoring of the protests and warn that customer service could suffer as a result. The company’s extensive partner network is showcased on its own site, with clients including Renfe, which contracted DXC in 2021 to strengthen its online ticketing system. Private courier MRW and several banking clients also rely on DXC’s services.
The strike is scheduled for the upcoming dates: 21 and 22 March, 29 and 30 April, and 3, 4, and 5 June.