Redundant IBM staff post disgust on Facebook

Following a “very sad day” that culminated in “brutal” redundancies, former IBM workers have taken to creating a Facebook group called 'Watching IBM' to express their consternation.

The page was set up by former employee Lee Conrad, who used to run the Alliance@IBM unionisation attempt. The exact quantity of the workforce that was laid off is unknown, but some estimations place it as high as a third. However, those whose jobs were cut only received a month’s severance pay, regardless of how long they had worked at the company.    

IBM would not give an exact number, saying that it is continuously in a state of metamorphosis; with hiring and firing in a constant state of flux.

A spokesperson told Business Insider: "IBM is aggressively transforming its business to lead in a new era of cognitive and cloud computing. This includes remixing skills to meet client requirements. To this end, IBM hired more than 70,000 professionals in 2015, many in these key skills areas, and currently has more than 25,000 open positions."