In San Francisco, tech workers at Amazon have been using Slack and email to circulate messages calling for a walkout on May 31, a week after the company’s annual shareholder meeting. This move comes amid a climate of anxiety and unrest in the tech industry, with widespread layoffs occurring at top companies like Amazon, Google, and Meta.
Employees are not only concerned about the job cuts themselves but also about the lack of communication and treatment from company leadership. Meta, Amazon, and Disney have all recently announced significant layoffs, affecting thousands of workers across different divisions.
Amazon
Amazon, in particular, has eliminated 9,000 jobs since November, with a total of over 18,000 employees affected. Morale among Amazon employees is low, with a sense of uncertainty and lack of clarity from leadership contributing to the unsettling atmosphere.
The upcoming walkout in Seattle, expected to attract at least 1,000 participants, is part of a broader wave of unease and agitation among Silicon Valley workers. Hiring freezes and mass layoffs in the face of a potential recession have heightened tensions.
At Meta, employee morale has dropped as higher-level executives receive large bonuses while thousands of employees are laid off. Google employees are also preparing for potential job cuts.
Layoffs often create a sense of betrayal among workers, leading to frustration and even aggression, especially in the current economic climate. Despite the challenging times, employees at high-tech firms are driven by a sense of creating a better world and a moral outrage against perceived injustices.
Google and Meta Statement
Google and Meta declined to comment, while an Amazon spokesperson emphasized the company’s respect for employees’ right to express their opinions.
However, employees feel that leadership is making unilateral decisions without considering their input, leading to widespread frustration with the company.
The walkout and ongoing discussions highlight the need for open communication, employee involvement in decision-making, and a more sustainable approach to address the concerns of tech workers.
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