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Google staff in Switzerland go on strike as job cuts hit Europe

By Nagasunder in UK Employment news, posted March 16, 2023

Hundreds of Google employees went on strike at the company's headquarters in Switzerland after more than 200 employees were laid off.

Workers at Google's Zurich office, which employs around 5,000 people, staged the walkout on Wednesday, March 15, to protest impending layoffs.

More than 2,000 employees, many of whom are members of the IT workers' union Syndicom, reportedly offered to lower their wages and working hours in an effort to stop job cuts. This suggestion was reportedly rejected by Google.

A Syndicom spokesperson said: "Our members at Google Zurich and all employees joining the walkout are showing solidarity with those laid off.

"They are bothered by the non-transparent nature of the layoffs, and are especially disappointed that Google is laying off workers at a time when the company is making billions in profit every year."

According to a Google spokesperson, the company made cuts to ensure that the number of roles remained aligned with its top priorities.

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"The consultation process has now concluded in Switzerland and employees whose roles were impacted have been notified."

Alphabet, Google's parent company, announced plans to cut 12,000 jobs globally in January, accounting for 6 percent of its global workforce.

The decision came amid a wave of layoffs across corporate America, particularly in technology, where companies have shed more than 290,000 workers since the beginning of the year, according to the job-cut tracking site layoffs.

Source: CTV News

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