Reuters: Tech workers urge companies to join Ukraine’s digital blockade of Russia

The decision by some leading Western business technology makers – including Microsoft, German software multinational SAP SE and U.S. giant International Business Machines Corp IBM – to maintain operations or staff in Russia despite Ukraine’s appeals have angered their workers in several countries.

• Small groups of employees at Microsoft, SAP and IBM have called for management to withdraw fully from Russia in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine, according to comments seen by Reuters on internal discussion forums and interviews with 18 workers familiar with the companies, who sought anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
• The employees – echoing Ukrainian officials – have urged the companies to go beyond ending new sales and dropping sanctioned clients in order to increase economic pressure on Moscow. They want their companies to suspend every deal in Russia, including for software clients may use to track sales, supply chains and workforces.
• Asked about the internal criticism, IBM said it has ceased working with Russian companies anywhere in the world – though it has stopped short of layoffs or suspending support of foreign businesses in Russia.