Microsoft offers Nokia staff free phones to quit work

Chinese Nokia workers given Lumia 630 handsets if they go for voluntary redundancy

Microsoft is encouraging Nokia staff in China to opt for voluntary redundancy by offering them a free Lumia 630 (pictured) handset if they choose the option.

The software giant announced 18,000 job cuts - the largest in its history - back in July, with around 5,000 thought to be coming from a Nokia factory in Bejing. The news is reported to have triggered protests at the plant last week.

In an apparent effort to ease tensions, Microsoft is offering up to 300 handsets a day to those signing up for its voluntary redundancy package, according to MarketWatch. The phones are expected to be dished out on a first-come, first-served basis.

Microsoft was unavailable to comment on the claims, but when its chief executive Satya Nadella announced his plans to swing the axe, he said it was for the company's own good.

"[It is the] first step to building the right organisations for our ambitions," he told staff in an open letter.