Swiss Google workers stage walkout as job cuts hit Europe

File Picture

Hundreds of Google employees staged a walkout on Wednesday at the company's office in Zurich, Switzerland, after more than 200 workers were laid off.

In January, Google's parent company Alphabet announced plans to cut 12,000 jobs around the world, equivalent to 6 per cent of its global workforce.

The decision came amid a wave of job cuts across corporate America, particularly in tech, where companies have shed more than 290,000 workers since the start of the year, according to tracking site Layoffs.

Workers at Google's Zurich office, home to around 5,000 employees, had staged a walkout last month, protesting against the impending layoffs.

A representative for IT workers' union Syndicom, which a number of employees belong to, said more than 2,000 staff members had offered to reduce their wages and working hours in an attempt to prevent job cuts. Google apparently rejected this proposal.

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

"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."

A Google spokesperson said the company had made cuts to ensure the number of roles remained aligned with its highest priorities.

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

More from International news

  • US prosecutors to seek death penalty for Luigi Mangione

    U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, the man accused of shooting and killing the CEO of UnitedHealth Group's insurance division Brian Thompson in New York last year.

  • UN warns window to find Myanmar quake survivors closing

    Aid groups in Myanmar on Tuesday described scenes of devastation and desperation after an earthquake that killed more than 2,700 people, stressing an urgent need for food, water and shelter and warning the window to find survivors was fast closing.

  • Trump administration begins mass layoffs at health agencies

    The Trump administration has fired staff at U.S. health agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health, as it embarked on its plan to cut 10,000 health jobs, according to sources familiar with the situation and a health official.

  • Israel says it 'eliminated' Hezbollah operative in Beirut strike

    The Israeli military said it killed a Hezbollah operative in an airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs early on Tuesday, while three other people were reported killed and seven injured, further testing a shaky four-month ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

News