UPDATE: Seagate To Shed Almost 3,000 Jobs And Will Cut Salaries
14 Gennaio 2009 - 8:31PM
Dow Jones News
By Rex Crum
SAN FRANCISCO (Dow Jones) - Seagate Technology said Wednesday it
would cut about 6% of its worldwide workforce and lower the
salaries of its top officers by as much as 25% as part of a
restructuring plan by the world's top maker of computer hard-disk
drives.
The layoffs and salary cuts, which were made in a filing with
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, come two days after
Seagate (STX) said it would lay off about 10% of its U.S.-based
workforce. The company also replaced CEO Bill Watkins and president
Dave Wickersham with company board chairman Stephen Luczo.
Seagate said the job cuts announced Wednesday were included in
the 10% U.S. layoff figure. The company says about 2,950 workers
will be laid off in total.
According the filing, Seagate estimates the restructuring to be
largely completed by the end of March and will result in the
company taking a pre-tax charge of $90 million and would save the
company about $130 million annually.
Seagate also said it would cut the salary of Luczo and "named
executive officers and executive vice presidents" by 25%, would
lower by 20% the salaries of senior vice presidents. Vice-president
will see salary cuts of 15% and other management, sales,
supervisors and professional employees will get a 10% cut. Seagate
said the salary cuts should come to $80 million a year.
After the filing was made, Needham & Co. analyst Richard
Kugele said in a research note that he expects more job cuts at
Seagate later this year. Kugele left his strong buy rating intact
only because he felt Seagate's stock is properly valued at the
present time.
Seagate shares fell 19 cents, or more than 4%, to $4.39 in
afternoon trading.
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