Fujitsu employees told they won’t receive a pay increase

The company at the center of the scandal involving the subpostmaster told its employees that there would not be any general wage increases this year.

Fujitsu, the company behind Post Office Horizon, notified staff of this decision on the 10th September.

The company stated: “We are prioritising the best use of our limited budget this year. There will not be UK-wide increases in pay as has been done in previous years. Unfortunately, most colleagues cannot expect to receive an increase in pay this year.”

ITV has been criticized for its dramatisation of Post Office Horizon, Mr Bates Vs. the Post Office. The company also received criticism over the appearance of key employees at the public inquiry into the scandal.

Fujitsu acquired the ICL Ltd. in full in 2002, after having gradually increased its stakes in UK computing since 1990. The firm has provided Horizon software to the Post Office since 1999, and also support for subpostmasters. Afterwards, the company was blamed for hiding major software bugs that caused subpostmasters to enter incorrect figures. Many of them were prosecuted.

Fujitsu has self-imposed a bidding ban in anticipation that it will cover the huge costs Horizon’s problems have incurred.

Fujitsu has announced cost-cutting measures to increase its competitiveness. In April, it informed staff of the need to cut 100 jobs in sales, presales, and logistics due to a decline in UK business.

Contracts with both the Post Office and the IT giant to support Horizon are also due to expire. According to Computer Weekly, which first revealed the scandal over 15 years ago and has been a leading source of information on the subject, delays in replacing Horizon could mean that Fujitsu’s contract with Post Office is extended for another five years. The supplier would then receive an additional PS180m from taxpayers.

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