Tensions have boiled over at WiseTech Global, where the Australian-founded software company’s CEO has allegedly been threatened with violence as staff raise concerns over the firm’s handling of AI-focused layoffs.
WiseTech, which makes logistics software and is one of the nation’s largest publicly listed technology companies, announced in February that it would axe around 2,000 jobs during a two-year restructure as part of a “deep AI transformation”.
After months of waiting, workers in Australia were reportedly given further details about the changes last Wednesday, before the first group of affected staff were informed of their redundancies on Monday.
Director of union group Professionals Australia, Paul Inglis, said that around 190 employees are expected to have entered a two-week consultation period, “although the final number has not yet been confirmed”.
“This is understood to be the beginning of a broader restructuring process that is expected to continue through to the 2027 financial year, with further rounds of redundancies anticipated,” Inglis said.
WiseTech declined to confirm how many Australian staff were caught up in the current round of cuts, citing ongoing consultations.
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The firm previously had around 3,600 staff, according to its last annual report.
Workers treated ‘more like variables than humans’
Professionals Australia said the three months between WiseTech’s February announcement of impending cuts and its confirmation of the first affected workers caused some employees to experience “periods of extreme stress, sleeplessness, and anxiety”.
The union said staff had been told their roles could be overtaken by AI but were still “still being expected to perform at full capacity through months of uncertainty”.
“Members are deeply unhappy with the way the process has been handled,” Inglis said.
“There have been multiple reports of employees being abruptly locked out of offices and car parks while still onsite, effectively cutting off access without warning.”
Ivi Olszewska, a researcher and user experience designer who said she was laid off after more than seven years at WiseTech, wrote on LinkedIn on Tuesday that the company’s handling of the cuts had been “profoundly damaging”.
She accused WiseTech of not being transparent with its employees, and of treating workers “more like variables in a strategy than humans living through it”.
“Perhaps most disappointing was seeing employees who were already under immense stress and uncertainty subjected at times to narratives that felt dismissive, defensive, or unfairly characterising their concerns, rather than engaging with them constructively,” Olszewska wrote.
Sydney-based WiseTech product specialist Sharon Thomas said she was also impacted by the cuts, after what she called “an agonising wait of three months”.
Thomas, who said her Australian work visa ends in September, wrote on LinkedIn that she had already used AI tools to automate parts of her job, but “never” thought she, or her role, would be made redundant.
A WiseTech spokesperson said the company has sought to “engage and consult with our teams in a structured and phased manner”.
“Because this is true organisational transformation, and not a cost cutting exercise, it has taken time to work through the process of redesigning our future portfolios, future team structures and to allow for consultation with relevant stakeholders to take place,” they said.
WiseTech recognised that its restructure “creates uncertainty”, said the spokesperson, who added that the firm is “committed to supporting our people through this period of change”, including by offering them platforms to raise concerns anonymously.
“No final decisions will be made about any individual roles until the relevant requirements for each local jurisdiction have been met,” they said.
‘Threat of violence’ sent to CEO
Amid rising tensions over WiseTech’s layoffs, a “handwritten threat of violence” was allegedly made against CEO Zubin Appoo earlier this month, according to an email received by staff on Sunday and obtained by the AFR.
WiseTech’s cofounder Richard White – who stepped down as CEO in 2024 while mired in controversy – reportedly told staff the threat also contained “personal information and offensive comments directed at members of [Appoo’s] family”.
The billionaire reportedly said the matter had been reported to police, and security at WiseTech’s Sydney office had been increased.
There had also been “several serious and deeply concerning incidents involving personal attacks, vitriol and deeply offensive behavior in group chats” relating to WiseTech’s restructure, White said.
“Regardless of what people think about the restructure, AI, WiseTech, or any member of leadership, WiseTech has zero tolerance for threats of violence, abuse, intimidation, harassment, vitriol or offensive behavior against anyone,” he reportedly wrote.
WiseTech declined to comment further on the matter when contacted, but echoed White’s statement of zero tolerance.
Inglis from Professionals Australia said “any threat of violence is completely unacceptable and is not supported in any way”.
WiseTech Global CEO Zubin Appoo (pictured) allegedly received a written threat of violence earlier this month. Image: WiseTech Global
More than 590 WiseTech employees – supposedly a majority of the company’s Australian technical workforce – had signed a petition to Appoo calling for “fair redundancy packages, transparency and genuine consultation”, according to Professionals Australia.
The union alleged those concerns had “largely been ignored” and that WiseTech had only agreed to redundancy packages with “minimum legal entitlements”.
A WiseTech spokesperson said, “We respect the role of employee representatives and have continued to engage constructively with our people and their representatives during the AI transformation process.”
AI not mentioned in email to China staff
Tensions also rose between WiseTech and its workers after staff in China were sent emails about the impending job cuts which did not mention AI – while emails received by staff in other countries did mention the technology.
“Our AI Transformation – next steps” was the subject line of the email received by workers outside of China, according to the AFR.
The email to staff inside China was reportedly titled “Our global transformation – next steps”, and did not contain any references to AI.
Under Chinese labour law, companies can get into trouble for citing AI as a reason for redundancy, as workers can (for the most part) only be laid off as part of a “major change” in an organisation’s circumstances, such as a relocation or a merger.
Appoo reportedly confirmed to WiseTech staff that workers in China received a different email.
“And yes, different jurisdictions have different legal and regulatory requirements,” he allegedly said.
A WiseTech spokesperson echoed this and added “the language used in internal communications has no bearing on the obligations we have to our employees in this process, which remain constant regardless of geography”.
“We are committed to fulfilling these obligations and treating our employees fairly and respectfully,” they said.
