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IBM Offers To Move Laid Off Workers To India

IBM is pitching “Project Match” to those who are willing to work on local terms and conditions.

By LIFS March 4, 2009 at 4:48 PM

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IBM is offering laid off workers lower paid jobs at its outsourcing centers in India, China, Brazil and other developing markets.

The company, which has laid off 4,000 U.S. employees since January, is pitching “Project Match” to “satisfactory performers who have been notified of separation from IBM U.S. or Canada and are willing to work on local terms and conditions.”

In an internal email to employees, the company wrote: “IBM has established Project Match to help you locate potential job opportunities in growth markets where your skills are in demand,” IBM says in an internal notice on the initiative. “Should you accept a position in one of these countries, IBM offers financial assistance to offset moving costs, provides immigration support, such as visa assistance, and other support to help ease the transition of an international move.”

The program has been panned by an IBM workers group Alliance@IBM, “IBM is not only offshoring IBM U.S. jobs but they want employees to offshore themselves through Project Match.” But an IBM spokesman told Informationweek: “It’s more of a vehicle for people who want to expand their life experience by working somewhere else. A lot of people want to work in India.”

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