Mobile phone giant Nokia has announced that it will cut 1,700 jobs globally and the that company's operation in China could also be affected.
So far, Nokia China has confirmed that the company's headquarters will slash 1,700 jobs in the coming months, involving many departments including mobile phones, marketing, corporate development, and global support. This is the second staff reduction in six months by the world's largest mobile phone company.
In November 2008, Nokia announced plans to cut 600 jobs in Finland, Britain, the United States, and Singapore. At that time, Nokia China only underwent a reorganization.
A representative from Nokia China stated that the situation is different this time and it is likely that some of the positions in the company will be retrenched. The representative said that the company put forward a voluntary resignation plan in February 2009, encouraging employees to resign on a voluntary basis. It was learned that Nokia China would make termination payments to the first 1,000 employees who are willing to resign between March 1 and May 31, 2009. The company says it hopes to reduce human resource costs and avoid involuntary redundancy through this measure.
In addition, Nokia is also encouraging its staff to take unpaid leave this year.