Search giant Google employees staged a rally in support of the two activist employees placed on leave. The tech giant's workers recently accused the company's management of hitting back against a number of its workers and displaying a lack of transparency as the firm attempts to rein in Google's popularly open culture. Incidentally, the workers gathered for a protest in one of the San Francisco offices of Google, near the waterfront of the city.
Google employees participating in the protest, as reported on CNET, "held up signs that said, 'Shame on Google,' 'Solidarity Forever' and 'This is OUR company.'" Speakers at the rally stood on a bench, addressing the crowd with Bay Bridge view in the background. During the employees' protest, the speakers accused Google of wanting to intimidate everyone in the company who would disagree with the leadership. As part of their protest, they said, "They want us afraid. They want us silent."
What Prompted the Employees' Protest
The rally was prompted by the administrative actions which Google took to hit back the two workers, Rebecca Rivers, and Laurence Berland. The two employees were said to have been placed on indefinite leave in early November while Google was investigating supposed policy violations, which include access of document and calendar details that Google claims was beyond the said employees' job scope. Google activists said, though, this move by the company is punishment for organizing the workplace. They added leadership does not know them anymore.
Google employees who were protesting urged the firm to have Rivers and Berland reinstated. At one point, there was chanting from the crowd saying, "Shut it down" and "Bring them back." The spokeswoman of Google, on the other hand, did not respond to the requested comment late last week. However, earlier this week, the spokeswoman defended the decision of Google to put the employees on leave and added that it's common for the Internet giant to do so, while the case is being investigated. In addition, according to the attendees of the protest, Google has lost touch with its employees.
Increased Tension
An online news report has it that a rally takes place as tensions increase between the management and rank-and-file employees of Google. Moreover, activists within the company have protested various leadership decisions, which include the signing of the artificial intelligence agreement with Pentagon, as reports reveal, "Google's work in China," and the leadership's handling of allegations toward sexual assault.
The relations between some of the workers and management of Google have worsened and become more intense recently. More so, the company outsourced a company with a background of anti-union initiatives, as Google faces employees' protests. Last week, the company said it intended to scale back its so-called "TGIF town hall meetings," a long-lasting tradition of the company. Sundar Pichai, Google CEO said, these meetings would be held every month, instead of bi-weekly or weekly due to a 'coordinated initiative' to leak remarks or comments made during internal meetings.
