[BEDFORD, NS] — Research in Motion Ltd. is staying quiet about the possibility of layoffs at their Bedford location.
Rebecca Freiburger, a spokeswoman for the Blackberry makers, said she would not comment on “rumours and speculation” that the tech company plans to layoff anywhere between 2,000 and 6,000 employees nationwide.
“RIM’s standard policy is to decline comment on rumors and speculation,” Freiburger wrote in an e-mail. “I will point you back to comments made by executives on the Q4 conference call.”
In that call, RIM revealed it lost $125 million over the quarter. CEO Thorsten Heins suggested improving efficiency throughout the companies production process and supply chain in an effort to save $1 billion by the end of 2013.
“It is now very clear to me that substantial change is what RIM needs,” said Heins, who was named CEO in January 2012 after Jim Balsillie’s departure.
This would be the second time in two years RIM has trimmed its workforce. In July 2011, RIM announced it would cut a total of 2,000 employees worldwide.
Freiburger said she could not comment on how many jobs were lost at the Bedford location, as the company doesn’t break the numbers out regionally. The cuts were expected to be minimal.
RIM has received a number of government incentives to continue operations in Nova Scotia over the past number of years.
They have qualified for just under $8 million under Nova Scotia Business Inc.’s payroll rebate program since 2005.
