In support of their colleagues who were laid off globally, about 250 Google employees in Zurich recently staged a walkout. The protesters are urging the company to halt any further layoffs.
A Google employee, who remains anonymous but is known to syndicom, stated that as ‘Googlers’, they support each other and cannot accept the extensive layoffs that appear to lack economic justification.
Employees at Google Zurich are requesting that the company engage in discussions with staff members to explore viable alternatives to layoffs in a comprehensive and serious manner. This is especially important for many non-EU nationals employed by Google Zurich, whose residence permits in Switzerland will expire if they are terminated.
In January, Alphabet, Google’s parent company, revealed its intention to terminate the employment of roughly 12,000 employees across the world. While workers of the organisation affected in the US and Canada have been notified, it’s still uncertain how many will be impacted in other locations.
The demonstration by Google Zurich employees is a response to the widespread layoffs and a demonstration of their support for affected coworkers.
These job cuts have impacted all regions, and even some highly skilled employees have not been exempt from the layoffs. The employees have criticised the layoffs, citing inadequate support, transparency, and communication from the company. This move has been met with disapproval from staff members, including those at Google Zurich, where Syndicom, a significant Swiss trade union for the IT sector, has many members.
