US Tech Giant Hewlett Packard Plans Up to 6,000 Job Cuts

The logo for The Hewlett-Packard Company is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, June 27, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
The logo for The Hewlett-Packard Company is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, June 27, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
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US Tech Giant Hewlett Packard Plans Up to 6,000 Job Cuts

The logo for The Hewlett-Packard Company is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, June 27, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
The logo for The Hewlett-Packard Company is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, June 27, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

PC-maker Hewlett Packard on Tuesday said it would layoff as many as 6,000 employees over the next three years as the slumping world economy continues to embroil the US tech sector.

HP, which has a payroll of about 61,000 people, said it aimed to secure $1.4 billion in annual savings through 2025 as it followed the cost-cutting path of other tech giants such as Facebook-owner Meta, Amazon and Twitter.

The plan "will enable us to better serve our customers and drive long-term value creation by reducing our costs and reinvesting in key growth initiatives to position our business for the future," HP CEO Enrique Lores said in a statement.

Meta said earlier this month it will lay off more than 11,000 of its staff and Twitter saw half of its 7,500-strong employees culled just days after the company was taken over by billionaire Elon Musk in late October.

"These are the toughest decisions we have to make, because they impact colleagues we care deeply about. We are committed to treating people with care and respect..." an HP spokesperson said in an email to AFP.

HP, which makes computer hardware and printers, announced the layoff plan as it announced an 11.2 percent fall in revenues to $14.8 billion for the final fiscal quarter of 2022.



Australia Ditches Plans to Fine Tech Giants for Misinformation

Facebook's new rebrand logo Meta is seen on a smartphone in front of displayed logo of Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus in this illustration picture taken October 28, 2021. (Reuters)
Facebook's new rebrand logo Meta is seen on a smartphone in front of displayed logo of Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus in this illustration picture taken October 28, 2021. (Reuters)
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Australia Ditches Plans to Fine Tech Giants for Misinformation

Facebook's new rebrand logo Meta is seen on a smartphone in front of displayed logo of Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus in this illustration picture taken October 28, 2021. (Reuters)
Facebook's new rebrand logo Meta is seen on a smartphone in front of displayed logo of Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus in this illustration picture taken October 28, 2021. (Reuters)

Australia has ditched plans to fine social media companies if they fail to stem the spread of misinformation, the country's communications minister said Sunday.

The proposed legislation outlined sweeping powers to fine tech companies up to five percent of their yearly turnover if they breached new online safety obligations.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said she had dumped the bill after running into significant opposition in the country's senate.

"Based on public statements and engagements with senators, it is clear that there is no pathway to legislate this proposal through the senate," she said in a statement.

The proposed bill notably drew the ire of tech baron Elon Musk, who in September likened the Australian government to "fascists".

Australia has been at the forefront of global efforts to regulate the tech giants.

The government will soon roll out a nationwide social media ban for children under 16.

Social media companies could be fined more than US$30 million if they fail to keep children off their platforms, under separate laws tabled before Australia's parliament on Thursday.