Google Workers in London Protest Over the Tech Company's Job Cuts

On Tuesday, a disagreement regarding layoffs prompted numerous Google employees to organize a walkout at the company's London offices.

Google announced in January that it intended to reduce its global workforce by roughly 6%, equating to around 12,000 jobs. During this time, many companies in the tech sector, including Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft, underwent substantial layoffs as part of a broader trend of job reductions across corporate America.

UK employees will be among those affected by Google's job cuts, with the union Unite reportedly estimating that hundreds of staff members are in jeopardy.

On April 4, employees and representatives from Unite gathered on King's Boulevard outside of Google's King's Cross offices to protest against the proposed job cuts and the alleged mistreatment of staff during the process.

During the walkout, attendees held signs reading "Enough is enough" and "I'm so tired," while anonymous messages from employees were read aloud via a loudspeaker. These messages conveyed the discontent felt by some staff members towards the company.

"Our members are clear: Google needs to listen to its own advice of not being evil," Unite regional officer Matt Whaley said in an interview with Reuters. "They and Unite will not back down until Google allows workers full union representation, engages properly with the consultation process and treats its staff with the respect and dignity they deserve."

According to Reuters, workers at Google's Zurich office in Switzerland held a similar walkout last month, as employee representatives claimed that the company had dismissed their suggestions for decreasing the number of job cuts.

Commenting on the situation, a Google spokesperson stated that the company acknowledges the difficulty of the decision to cut thousands of jobs and admits that "this is a very challenging time for our employees."

"In the UK, we have been constructively engaging and listening to our employees through numerous meetings, and are working hard to bring them clarity and share updates as soon as we can in adherence with all UK processes and legal requirements," they added.

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