At least 100 Microsoft Corp employees at a handset development site in Beijing on Wednesday signed in a request, calling for direct dialogue with top company officials on layoff arrangement.
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Banners were draped inside the office building, asking the employees to "stand together and fight against violent job cuts".
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They also asked the company to give six months' notice to employees before sacking them as that would give them time to look for another job.
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Microsoft acquired the unit from Nokia earlier this year. The facility currently has about 2,700 employees.
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The site will be a major source of job cuts in China, according to a person familiar with the matter. Only about 300 jobs will be retained after the resizing, the source said. Microsoft was unable to comment on Wednesday.Â