Source: The Canadian Press
Google has reportedly fired over 20 additional employees following protests concerning the company's involvement in supplying technology to the Israeli government amidst the Gaza conflict. This brings the total number of terminated staff to more than 50, according to a group representing the workers.
A person rides past the Google sign outside the Google offices in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Thursday, April 18, 2024. Google has fired 28 employees who were involved in protests over the tech company’s cloud computing contract with the Israeli government. The workers held sit-ins at the company’s offices in California and New York over Google’s $1.2 billion contract to provide custom tools for Israeli’s military.
The protests were triggered by Google's participation in "Project Nimbus," a substantial $1.2 billion contract inked in 2021. This initiative, involving Google and Amazon, aimed to provide cloud computing and artificial intelligence services to the Israeli government.
Last week, employees staged sit-in demonstrations at Google offices in New York and Sunnyvale, California, prompting the company to involve law enforcement, resulting in several arrests.
The group coordinating the protests, known as No Tech For Apartheid, disclosed that 30 workers were dismissed last week, surpassing the initially announced figure of 28. Subsequently, on Tuesday night, Google terminated "over 20" more employees, including those who were not directly involved in the protests, as stated by Jane Chung, a spokeswoman for No Tech For Apartheid.
Chung criticized Google's actions, accusing the corporation of attempting to suppress dissent and silence its workforce. She highlighted the lack of due process and the sudden disruption of livelihoods for over 50 workers.
In response, Google stated that it conducted thorough investigations, gathering information from coworkers who experienced physical disruptions during the protests. The company identified employees who attempted to conceal their identities by wearing masks and not carrying their staff badges. However, Google did not specify the exact number of individuals dismissed.
Moreover, Google refuted the group's assertions, asserting that each terminated employee was directly involved in disruptive activities within their premises. The company emphasized its commitment to maintaining a conducive work environment, particularly as it enhances its AI technology, as indicated by CEO Sundar Pichai in a previous blog post.
