Google is facing more pushback in response to its recent layoffs, with employees in its London offices staging a walkout in protest.
Google parent Alphabet announced the layoffs of 12,000 employees in January, taking a step the company had proudly avoided its entire history. To make matters worse, the company has been accused of botching the layoffs and not honoring previous commitments.
It appears some employees in the UK have had enough, with Reuters reporting that Google’s London-based employees have staged a walkout, accusing the company of ignoring employee concerns.
“Our members are clear: Google needs to listen to its own advice of not being evil,” said trade union Unite regional officer Matt Whaley.
“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.”
One Google employee at the protest, who wished to remain anonymous to prevent retaliation, told Reuters that talks with management had been “extremely frustrating.”
“It has been difficult for those involved. We have a redundancy process for a reason, so that employees can make their voice heard,” they said. “But it feels as if our concerns have fallen on deaf ears.”
Google has always prided itself on the atmosphere it created for its employees, commonly called “Googlers.” It’s a safe bet that image has been severely tarnished and will likely continue to suffer for some time.
