Following the takeover by the leading computer manufacturer Hewlett-Packard (HP) of the information technology service provider Electronic Data Systems, HP announced that it will be cutting more than 24,000 jobs. About 9,300 of these job cuts may be in Europe. In protest against the management’s plans to cut jobs and freeze wages and benefits, a European-wide action day was held in November 2008, followed by two further protest action days in January 2009.