Google employees go on strike to protest sexual harassment



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Thousands of the employees of Google in the world they did a work stoppage on Thursday protest at sexual harassment in the company.

With banners that made sardonic use of the company's original motto "Do not be demonic," Google employees briefly quit their jobs.

From Tokyo to Singapore via London, through New York, Seattle and San Francisco, engineers and other high – paying employees have made hour – long work stoppages, reflecting the growing frustration at work. time of the MeToo movement among women struggling with negative attitudes. the predominantly male models that dominate Silicon Valley.

In Dublin, activists used megaphones to speak in front of a crowd of men and women. Elsewhere, employees met in conference rooms or receptions. In New York, there seemed to be as many men as women on the streets, while in Cambridge, Massachusetts, men were perhaps 6 times more likely than women.

"The age of sexual harassment is over!", Cries the organizer Vicki Tardif Holland at a meeting of about 300 people in Cambridge. "The era of systemic racism is over.The era of abuse of power is over. Enough is enough!"

These interruptions reflected the sentiment among some of the 94,000 employees of Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc. that the company did not meet the ideals set out in its motto "Do not be mean". and the most recent mandate in his code of conduct: "Do the right thing".

"We have the appearance of many companies on us," said Tanuja Gupta, a Google employee in New York. "We have always been an avant-garde company, so if we do not lead the way, no one else will do it."

Google's protests took place a week after the New York Times detailed allegations of abuse or sexual harassment by Andy Rubin, the creator of the Android software.

According to the report, Rubin received a $ 90 million settlement package in 2014 despite Google's finding that the charges against him were credible.

The newspaper revealed similar accusations against other leaders, such as Richard DeVaul, director of Google's affiliate laboratory, who had created projects such as autonomous vehicles and balloons for the Internet connection. Although the complaints appeared years ago, DeVaul only resigned Tuesday without being liquidated, according to Google.

In an unsigned statement from the organizers, protesters called for an end to forced arbitration in cases of harassment and discrimination, a practice that obliges aggrieved persons to waive their right to prosecute and often includes confidentiality agreements.

In addition to being annoyed by what they say is an indulgent treatment towards executives who mistreat women, the organizers of the protest called for more aggressive measures in favor of equal wages and salaries. more inclusive hiring practices to reduce the high concentrations of white men and women. Asians occupy the highest paid programming positions in the sector.

Women make up 31% of Google's global workforce and the number is lower than the highest positions. The numbers are similar throughout Silicon Valley.
In a statement, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said the company was reviewing all "constructive ideas" from employees to improve policies and practices.

Google has fired 48 people for allegations of sexual harassment

With AP information.
FJMM

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