As the economic situation in the U.S. and around the world deteriorates, tech companies such as Salesforce have begun laying off employees at a staggering rate. In a letter to employees, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff explained that the environment that Salesforce operates in has changed as customers cut back on their spending causing him to make this “very difficult decision”. Benioff stated that the company will reduce its workforce by approximately 10% over the coming weeks.
The cause of the job cuts, according to Benioff, was that revenue accelerated dramatically during the pandemic causing the company to expand too quickly and hire too many workers. The blame for this shortsightedness, as it was rationalized by Benioff, was his.
While Benioff attempted to rationalize the cause of the layoffs and express the blame for such a situation fell on himself, the negative repercussions ultimately fell on the affected workers.
“The employees being affected aren’t just colleagues. They’re friends. They’re family. Please reach out to them. Offer the compassion and love they and their families deserve and need now more than ever. And most of all, please lean on your leadership, including me, as we work through this difficult time together.”, said Benioff.
While the capitalist class tries to paint the relationship between workers and capitalists as that of a “family”, the decision was merely a business decision based upon the maximization of profits for the private owners. While capitalists will always try to rationalize the negative outcomes of capitalist production as though they are some sort of natural and unavoidable part of life, they are a consequence of the private ownership of the means of production and the class domination of a small number of oligarchs. While the workers will suffer the negative consequences, the capitalist class can cry crocodile tears while continuing to live lavish lives off the labor of others, during good times and bad.
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