ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, September 18, 1996 TAG: 9609180115
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
IBM has more job reshuffling in mind
NEW YORK - IBM soon will offer incentives to several thousand administrative workers to leave or find new jobs in divisions that are growing.
Unlike previous downsizing efforts, however, International Business Machines Corp. has no clear target for the number of jobs to eliminate, people familiar with the company's plans said Tuesday. No layoffs are planned.
The incentive program is part of a broader effort to shift financial and human resources to its growing operations while holding costs down in areas where there is little or no growth.
Most likely to be affected are people not directly involved in researching, designing, making and selling IBM products. That includes support staff, lawyers, public relations and facilities employees and members of the corporate staff.
The New York Times, which first reported IBM's plans on Tuesday, said 3,000 to 5,000 workers may be affected. IBM employs about 225,000.
IBM last cut jobs in November 1995, when it laid off 1,200 people. But the company's overall staffing level grew last year for the first time since 1985.
-Associated Press
Mazda RX-7s recalled for brakes
IRVINE, Calif. - Mazda recalled 13,900 RX-7s Tuesday because of a brake problem. Owners of the affected sports cars are being asked to take them to a Mazda dealer for replacement of the brake vacuum hoses.
The company said that on some RX-7s, from the 1993 through 1995 model years, accumulations of engine oil mist may prevent the brake vacuum check valve from opening at the specified pressure.
This could keep the brakes from working properly on the first three attempts after the cars are started in the morning, Mazda said.
-Associated Press
Russian hackers go for the gold
MOSCOW - Computer hackers stole more than $4.7 million last year in Russia, where electronic thefts are rising, an anti-crime official said Tuesday.
Officials recorded 185 heists via computer in 1995, said Kuzma Shalenkov of the Interior Ministry's anti-economic crime department.
Sixty people were arrested and convicted of the crimes in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Murmansk and Rostov, according to Russian news agencies.
-Associated Press
Briefly
* Optical Cable Corp., Roanoke County maker of fiber-optic cable, said Tuesday it has received the first release on a $600,000 project to supply about 100,000 feet of 48 fiber multimode fiber-optic cable to McDonnell Douglas Corp.
* U.S. coal production fell 3 percent, from 22 million tons the week before to 21.3 million tons in the week ended Sept. 7, the U.S. Department of Energy said. The industry produced 20 million tons in the same week last year. Virginia mines produced 653,000 tons that week, down from 823,000 tons the previous week and 649,000 tons a year ago.
LENGTH: Medium: 64 linesby CNB