IBM strike called off

After a meeting this morning between an employees' union and Big Blue, the threat of a strike by 45 workers at IBM's Baulkham Hills facility has been lifted.

Sally McManus

The Australian Services Union met IBM at 7am this morning in a last minute effort to avoid the strike, which was tipped to start tomorrow.

Australian Services Union branch secretary Sally McManus told ZDNet.com.au that the negotiations went very well, and that the company would put forward an offer to employees by next Thursday, which members would consider in a meeting on the same evening.

"IBM's heard and it's negotiating," she said. "On that basis, we've decided to lift our threat of industrial action."

Employees at the IBM Flightdeck in Baulkham Hills had voted to take industrial action in the form of four-hour rolling stoppages after IBM declined to negotiate an agreement with employees.

The news will have eased any concerns IBM customers such as Westpac or Qantas could have harboured that their systems would not be maintained during the strike.

IBM was unable to comment in time for publication.