Nokia Chinese Employees Protest Microsoft’s Massive Job Cuts

📅 August 4, 2014 - Microsoft employees from its newly acquired Nokia division held a two day protest over the weekend objecting the company's decision to lay off thousands of its staff.

According to ZDNet, hundreds of Chinese employees gathered at Beijing's research center and factory to protest “Microsoft's hostile takeover and violent layoffs” that the company plans on implementing this year.

In addition to complaints about how the tech giant went back on its word not to cut jobs within the first year of the Nokia acquisition, protesters are also claiming that they are receiving “inappropriate” compensation.

The China National Radio reported that Microsoft's compensation plan gives employees two months' salary and a month's pay for each year worked at the company, though staff members are saying that people who did not sign the plan will be fired, which is in violation of Chinese labor laws, continues ZDnet's report.

Microsoft announced last month that 18,000 employees would be getting laid off over the next year, with 12,500 of those jobs coming from the Nokia Devices and Services team.