IBM workers were braced for job losses last night after the computer and consultancy group announced it was shedding up to 13,000 staff.

Most of the losses will be in Europe, although IBM has yet to provide a country-by-country breakdown of where redundancies will take place.

The company is still looking at the details of the cost-cutting plan, but warned that the UK, Germany, France and Italy would be affected.

The company employs 25,000 staff in the UK.

The Amicus union is seeking talks with the company, which it accused of adopting a "slash and burn approach" in response to disappointing quarterly results.

Amicus national officer Peter Skyte said: "We fear the worst, given that it is quicker, cheaper and easier to get rid of workers in the UK than elsewhere in Europe.

"IBM is behaving like the worst 19th Century farmer - hiring for the harvest and firing at the end of the season - and treating skilled IT professionals as mere commodities of the market."

IBM plans to remove layers of bureaucracy to have more staff in client-facing roles.

The company said it would run fewer services offices worldwide and reduce the number of managers in pan-European roles.

IBM shed 40 jobs in Stockton earlier this year, transferring work to India.