The Friday strike, resulting from the ongoing dispute between HP and its workers’ union over pay and job-cuts, saw the HP workers at the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) picketing sites across the UK.

With the striking workers, involving up to 1,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) union, having set up picket lines in Washington, Newcastle, Preston and the Fylde Coast, the one-day strike has also affected the working of the Ministry of Defence and General Motors.

According to the union, the strike call resulted from the layoff of nearly 3,400 staff by HP since it acquired EDS in 2008, in spite of the company reporting substantial profits. The union also said that a layoff of another 1,000 workers has been planned for the first four months of 2010.

Mark Serwotka, the general secretary of PCS, said: “Strike action is not a step that our members take lightly. They have worked hard to help the company deliver fourth quarter revenues of $30.8bn, yet have been slapped in the face with job losses and a pay freeze for two years running.”

While HP said that the employees’ decision to take industrial action was a ‘disappointing’ move, Serwotka said that burdening the employees with greater workloads for generating good profits, but treating them so inconsiderately was “disgraceful” on the part of the company.