In what is seen by many as major corporations clamping down on dissent, Google, one of the biggest names of the tech world, has fired another set of 20 employees, now former employees, from its company. This exercise is being carried out after the company found that these individuals were protesting inside Google offices in Sunnyvale, California and New York.
Google Fires Dozens
Here, the protests were also held inside Google Cloud services head, Thomas Kurian's office, wherein protestors held banners, reading, "No More Genocide for Profit" and "Drop NIMBUS".
Earlier, Google had fired a set of 28 employees sighting the same reason. The protests were held last week inside the Google campus, over the tech-giant's support to strategic affairs of the Israeli government and the Israeli Army.
The factor at the centre of the discourse was the Google support to USD 1.2 billion NIMBUS deal, a cloud-based strategic system, under the Israeli Army.
Pichai Warns Employees
The company CEO, Sundar Pichai has reportedly warned employees of such activities, further raising questions of shrinking space to expression and more particularly dissent in corporation. According to the Hindustan Times, warning his employees, Pichai said, , “We have a culture of vibrant, open discussion that enables us to create amazing products and turn great ideas into action. That's important to preserve."
Meanwhile, organizers of the protests apart from expressing their discontent, also claimed, that, the company fired those, who were not active participants in the agitation, and that 'by-standers' were let go.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, big-buck corporations are apparently losing their 'patience' with such activism from the side of their employees. Once again, presenting the lopsided priorities of stakeholders.
So far, over 30,000 lives have been lost in the past five months, since Israeli retaliation started in Gaza.
Google shares ended the day's trade on Monday, gaining 1.43 per cent, at USD 157.95.
