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Christy Hoffman, General Secretary of UNI Global Union, commenting on the walkout of thousands of Google workers across the globe in protest at a culture of sexual harassment by executives towards female colleagues, said:

“It is inspiring to see Google employees organizing their global workplace for equality and transparency. We hope today marks a turning point for Google so that abuse and discrimination against women are no longer tolerated and rewarded, for direct employees and for its contract workers. Google employees have revolutionized the tech industry with innovative products, and today they have an opportunity to transform it again with their demands.

“Fixing a broken culture will take more than one day of collective action. We will support Google workers in their ongoing efforts to make real change.”

Background:

Google workers around the world are staging an unprecedented series of walkouts in protest at the company's treatment of women. The protests began in Tokyo and Singapore and have spread across Europe and onto the United States.

The employees are calling for changes in how sexual misconduct allegations are dealt with at Google, including an end forced arbitration - so that victims would be able to sue.

Google chief executive Sundar Pichai made this admission:

"I understand the anger and disappointment that many of you feel," he said in an all-staff email. "I feel it as well, and I am fully committed to making progress on an issue that has persisted for far too long in our society… and, yes, here at Google, too."