The corporation confirmed to the media that it had decided to cut some of its employees. She did not specify how many people were out of work, but, according to Axios, there are about a thousand of them.
It is reported that the cuts took place in different countries and departments, and there are Microsoft veterans among those laid off. For example, product manager KC Lemson and one of the creators of the Azure cloud service Greg Chapman wrote about their forced resignation on Twitter.
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The ZeniMax testers' union might initiate a strike against Microsoft. The group held a vote on this matter, and 94% of the members of ZeniMax Workers United approved the proposal to organize a protest.
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The union announced that the strike will not begin immediately. It will be declared if the ongoing negotiations with the corporation’s management to improve working conditions do not succeed. The strike vote could strengthen the positions of ZeniMax Workers United during the dispute and push through the necessary decision.
According to ZeniMax Workers United, the testers have been trying to reach an agreement with Microsoft for over two years, but to no avail. Specifically, they are asking for a salary increase, permission to work remotely, and not to outsource projects without the union’s consent.
"Microsoft is a multi-billion dollar corporation. Paying employees a decent salary is the least it could do. However, when this is brought up in negotiations, Microsoft acts as if we are asking for too much. Our contractors work for minimum wage without any benefits, including no paid sick leave. People hesitate to start families due to financial issues," reads a statement from ZeniMax Workers United.
A Microsoft representative told the media that the corporation is "determined to reach a fair and mutually beneficial agreement that acknowledges the testers’ team’s contributions." He added that significant progress has been made in negotiations, and parties have already tentatively agreed on most issues.
ZeniMax Workers United is one of the largest unions within Microsoft, comprising about 300 members.