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Google workers in London stage walkout over job cuts

reuters.com

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Re: Google workers in London stage walkout over job cuts

#101

Post by danpalmer »

gruez wrote: post #36
danpalmer wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There have been several layers to the criticism. The first is roughly why does a company with many billions in the bank need to lay off anyone. However, assuming that layoffs do need to happen, there has been a lot more criticism of how they were conducted. In the UK there is, in summary, a right to a fair process – where _roles_ are eliminated, not _people_. That when there aren't enough roles for the people left, t…

>The first is roughly why does a company with many billions in the bank need to lay off anyone. because it's a for-profit company, not a jobs program.

If the company was never going to hire again this might make sense, but laying off 12k people to just re-hire those roles in a year is counter productive.

The absolute cost to not laying them of is a small proportion of the cash in the bank, and the company would have maintained the pretty great culture it had, kept the loyalty that has otherwise been burnt, and saved on future hiring costs.

Re: Google workers in London stage walkout over job cuts

#102

Post by ExoticPearTree »

gruez wrote: post #41
UncleMeat wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It isn't negative feedback. It is an organized process established in the UK for handling layoffs. The UK workers didn't just say "don't fire us." They offered a ton of different options that, based on actual data, would have produced the same savings as the proposed layoffs. These included things like voluntary layoffs. All of these proposals were rejected. It sucks to have a corporation say "okay we'll have a discu…

>The UK workers didn't just say "don't fire us." They offered a ton of different options that, based on actual data, would have produced the same savings as the proposed layoffs. These included things like voluntary layoffs. All of these proposals were rejected. What were the specific list of proposals? The only one you mentioned (voluntary layoffs) is a bad idea because it leads the most talented people to leave.

And what happens when the company wants to fire a different bunch of people that don't voluntarily want to leave?

Re: Google workers in London stage walkout over job cuts

#103

Post by shubb »

UncleMeat wrote: post #74
gruez wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The first is roughly why does a company with many billions in the bank need to lay off anyone. because it's a for-profit company, not a jobs program.

In some countries, corporations are seen to be in service of both their employees and their investors.

E.g. German employee reps on boards

Re: Google workers in London stage walkout over job cuts

#104

Post by newswasboring »

version_five wrote: post #68
newswasboring wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you elaborate on your statement for dummies? (Only if your argument isn't companies exist only to maximize profit, that one I understand and reject).

Even if they exist for the good of their employees, should they employ everyone until they run out of money, or should they operate competitively? Having billions of dollars, or even being profitable, has no relationship to sustainability of carrying extra employees in a competitive market. I don't expect you actually want to have a discussion though.

> should they employ everyone until they run out of money

I dont know that, but I know they should keep their employees if they made 13 billion in profit last year. I would like to understand if this is anything apart from greed.

Re: Google workers in London stage walkout over job cuts

#105

Post by Overtonwindow »

say_it_as_it_is wrote: post #35

And that's how you identify the next round of layoffs

I think this only scratches the surface. China has a social credit system. Who's to say that these major corporations do not have a employee rating system? Speak out about layoffs? Your rating goes down. Agree to come back to the office? Your rating goes up.

How much longer before these types of internal valuations work their way into a database for other companies can see?

Take it one step further: what if you apply for a job, and that job knew that you had walked out in protest at your last job, organized to create a union, or maybe refused to come back to the office because you wanted to work from home.

What impact would that knowledge have on your chances of gainful employment?

Corporations can cancel people too...

Re: Google workers in London stage walkout over job cuts

#106

Post by robswc »

pm90 wrote: post #88
fsniper wrote: post #78

It's strange to see US based workers to bash on Europe based workers who push back for their rights. Even if you don't see any "rights" to fight back, isn't it to your own benefit that someone else is fighting for more rights/better conditions? Why would you sit back and accept to be the scapegoat for conditions that you didn't cause or you didn't have any say over at the first place? The companies are laying of peop…

I’ve heard it described as “Americans think of themselves as temporary poor future billionaires”. Not all Americans, but this is why you see so many simping for the rich even when its not in their own interests.

>even when its not in their own interests

It is not in our interest to emulate Europe when it comes to tech.

Re: Google workers in London stage walkout over job cuts

#107

Post by newswasboring »

ExoticPearTree wrote: post #86
newswasboring wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you elaborate on your statement for dummies? (Only if your argument isn't companies exist only to maximize profit, that one I understand and reject).

> Only if your argument isn't companies exist only to maximize profit, that one I understand and reject The fact that you do not like reality doesn't make it less real. Companies are created to make money for founders and investors. And if they need to shed load to make those people more money, this is how it is going to be. You can always boycott Google and use/buy any of their products if it makes you feel any bett…

The whole system is made up, I prefer to make it a different way. That is why I reject it, and vehemently advocate for changing this. Advocacy requires me to point out the cruel and unnecessarily unfair nature of this sytem.

Re: Google workers in London stage walkout over job cuts

#108

Post by NovemberWhiskey »

jwestbury wrote: post #90
voidfunc wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The entitlement is off the charts. People have completely lost perspective on how money is made and where they fit into the money making machine.

Counter-point: The money-making machine exists to serve people, not the other way around.

Yes; but the shareholders - not the employees.

Re: Google workers in London stage walkout over job cuts

#109

Post by fsniper »

robswc wrote: post #99
fsniper wrote: post #78

It's strange to see US based workers to bash on Europe based workers who push back for their rights. Even if you don't see any "rights" to fight back, isn't it to your own benefit that someone else is fighting for more rights/better conditions? Why would you sit back and accept to be the scapegoat for conditions that you didn't cause or you didn't have any say over at the first place? The companies are laying of peop…

B/c the cold hard truth is that people would rather the 3-4x salaries. https://jobs.theguardian.com/job/8512191/head-of-cyber-secur... You have the head of cyber security making almost 1/2 as much as many CS grads right out of college. People can and will say they want more rights... but if that were _really_ true you would see tons of tech workers breaking down the door to get into Europe. As it stands, the complete…

How is that at all related? US paying more is not mutually exclusive to people in Europe to fight for better conditions/their rights? Do you consider this to cause US to pay less and in turn lost income?

Sorry to break it to you, but it's already happening and not at all related to what happens in Europe, but to US's own incompetency on responsible economics.

Re: Google workers in London stage walkout over job cuts

#110

Post by theGnuMe »

robswc wrote: post #99
fsniper wrote: post #78

It's strange to see US based workers to bash on Europe based workers who push back for their rights. Even if you don't see any "rights" to fight back, isn't it to your own benefit that someone else is fighting for more rights/better conditions? Why would you sit back and accept to be the scapegoat for conditions that you didn't cause or you didn't have any say over at the first place? The companies are laying of peop…

B/c the cold hard truth is that people would rather the 3-4x salaries. https://jobs.theguardian.com/job/8512191/head-of-cyber-secur... You have the head of cyber security making almost 1/2 as much as many CS grads right out of college. People can and will say they want more rights... but if that were _really_ true you would see tons of tech workers breaking down the door to get into Europe. As it stands, the complete…

Yes but that role you link to will open up a lot of doors, revolving doors as they say. Also does the UK have paid speaking engagements like the US does?
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