[kill_9]

BlackBerry has been on an outsourcing mission since 2011 with their internal IT groups getting hit along with customer technical support. Standard operating procedure for a corporation seeking to improve its financial statement. In a certain way reducing your workforce to only those involved in the core business is understandable. I hear the severance package for laid-off employees is generous compared to 99% of other business enterprises.

[kill_9]

This is not unexpected news, they already stated they had a plan to reduce headcount by 5000 or so, they haven't reached that number yet nor has it reached the deadlines set. Hope those workers will transition well and be supported through this time.

BlackBerry has indeed laid-off in excess of the announced 5000 employees. The company is shedding staff faster than a snake sheds its skin. But as I said in another posting there is a certain rational logic to the workforce reduction which does not take away the anxiety of the affected employees.

[Fionn]

so an average tax-paying people in Halifax is essentially paying BBRY employees; and this is right because some bureaucrat thought of it? It would be better just to lower the tax a little on all Halifaxians. I feel for those losing their jobs, but if your employer is losing money, get yourself ready.

[kill_9]

This is odd news to me to hear about the lay offs. I was in blackberry 'a career site yesterday and there were over 100 job postings.

Posted using CrackBerry App on BB10

You should know by now that job postings do not necessarily equate to actual positions to be staffed in the near term. It is a strategy used by businesses to bolster their corporate state of health and competitiveness. As to the Nova Scotia Government giving BlackBerry CAD10 million over 5 years to keep open the office in Halifax you will see further staff reductions when the cash runs out again.

[kill_9]

First I've heard of this. People in Halifax were let go during one of the other rounds of layoffs so not exactly sure what that gov money did.

The cash had run out several months before those lay-offs. This is a new cash infusion from the government in the aftermath of the previous taxpayer-funded corporate incentives.

[kill_9]

most of the job opportunities are developer based...not exactly something you can re-train a call centre agent to do quickly.

Depends. A lot of those call centre agents, as you call them, hold university degrees and college diplomas in many disciplines including computer science, software engineering, electrical engineering, and business. I doubt RIM hired many uneducated welfare baby-popping mommas and johnny-come-lately crackheads.

[RubberChicken76]

Main point he was saying was that Apple doesn't need any bailing out

Outside of the Apple store, does Apple actually employ any Nova Scotians to do anything for Apple? Have an office where development or support gets done?

[RubberChicken76]

BlackBerry has indeed laid-off in excess of the announced 5000 employees

Not exactly. Under Mike and Jim, they announced and laid off 2,000 people. Then Thorsten took over and did a bunch of restructurings where some departments were merged, some VPs vanished, redundencies were removed etc. Then they announced the 5,000 headcount reduction, which was in progress as of the last quarter but not complete.

As of Dec 1, BlackBerry had 13,400 employees with 1250 left to be cut.

http://www.therecord.com/news/busine...support-to-ncr

[tchocky77]

so an average tax-paying people in Halifax is essentially paying BBRY employees; and this is right because some bureaucrat thought of it? It would be better just to lower the tax a little on all Halifaxians. I feel for those losing their jobs, but if your employer is losing money, get yourself ready.

I agree it's damned shameful. Blackberry put themselves in the same boat as the Wall Street banks allowing the government to meddle this way. Real classy lot*.

*READ: VERMIN. *puke*

[Canuck671]

Sorry for the group. However, this happens, the days of spending your career with the same company are long gone. I am always looking for another iron to put in the fire. Good luck to everyone.

[joshua_sx1]

I hope that the momentum now gaining by Blackberry will not be affected by such layoffs...

[TRlPPlN]

Considering how horrible the economic situation has been in most western countries the last few years, that's a pretty cavalier statement. LOTS of people still having a very difficult time finding work these days, and oftentimes the jobs they find are not good enough to even pay expenses.

Oh trust me I've been laid off my self. Not once but twice during the dot bomb. Yeah I know how it feels to live through rough times and work several odd jobs to make ends meat. But an individual with hope and perseverance will make it through.

[Buju Banton]

I hope that the momentum now gaining by Blackberry will not be affected by such layoffs...

doubt it

these cuts were in the works for a long time

[Buju Banton]

As for the "bailout" comments...how exactly does a company with $2 billion in cash need bailing out? There are strategically making cuts in areas and the $10 million from the government is an incentive for them to keep employees in Halifax which in turn helps the local economy by keeping citizens employed.

[RubberChicken76]

As for the "bailout" comments...how exactly does a company with $2 billion in cash need bailing out? There are strategically making cuts in areas and the $10 million from the government is an incentive for them to keep employees in Halifax which in turn helps the local economy by keeping citizens employed.

Their financial situation is even better. they had almost $ 3 billion last quarter and no debt. They've never issued an "our ability to continue is a growing concern". The NS government wants BlackBerry to keep jobs in Nova Scotia instead of the work being done elsewhere, so they're incentivizing. Not a bailout, though it's being construed that way.

[njblackberry]

It's not a bailout. More of a government sponsored bribe.
Happens all the time in many countries. Deal with it.

[TomJasper]

Nothing new to see here. This was all explained a year ago, to make Blackberry leaner/meaner. Sure it sucks to get laid off but this was the plan way back at the start of 2012, not sure why some have short memories now. Jeesh


As for Halifax, learn to read, not a Gov bail out by any means, Blackberry is actually putting in back more than it got. Where is the out cry for the auto industry that gets hundreds of millions in NO TAX payments for setting up shop in USA/Canada, Halifax is a drop in the bucket(peanuts in compare).

[greggebhardt]

I hope that the momentum now gaining by Blackberry will not be affected by such layoffs...

Momentum? The stock will be in the $13.50 range by the end of the day.

[kill_9]

Outside of the Apple store, does Apple actually employ any Nova Scotians to do anything for Apple? Have an office where development or support gets done?

My new Apple iPod Nano was shipped directly from China for an order I placed on-line via Apple's website. But to your point most companies do not employee people in every region where they sell product or service. Are you claiming BlackBerry employs people at Best Buy, Telus Wireless Business Centre, etc.?

[Omnitech]

Momentum? The stock will be in the $13.50 range by the end of the day.

That was primarily Wall Street getting their panties in a twist because Home Depot decided to drop Blackberries and go with iPhones.

Wouldn't be surprised if that decision were made months ago, but it doesn't take much for investors to get spooked about Blackberry while they're so mesmerized by Apple.

Oh and the US Z10/Q10 rollout delay doesn't help matters. At this point I'm beginning to wonder if the carriers aren't playing games with Blackberry on purpose.