Tech workers speak of job fears as subcontractor protests to target Meta for first time

Covalen subcontractor staff at Meta face job losses affecting up to 720 roles. Workers and the Communications Workers Union plan protests at Meta HQ. The union says the dispute is escalating as outsourced workers demand accountability for AI-driven job losses. A content moderator reports that AI contributes to the layoffs, but the main driver is transferring a Meta project to another subcontractor. Workers face a “cooling off” clause preventing work for another Meta subcontractor for six months, and many lack sufficient service to qualify for statutory redundancy. Some redundancy payments are described as insufficient even for rent, and foreign nationals may not receive plane tickets home. A moderator describes tasks involving simulated “bad actors” feeding information into an AI system.

"The atmosphere at Meta subcontractor Covalen has been "dire", according to content moderator Owen O'Reilly. Mr O'Reilly was speaking about the impact on staff in the wake of an announcement that up to 720 jobs are at risk at the outsourcing firm. He will be among Covalen workers and members of the Communications Workers Union who are set to hold protests today at Meta HQ for the first time. The union said in a statement that the Covalen dispute is escalating "as outsourced workers demand Big Tech accountability for its role in AI-driven job losses"."

"Mr O'Reilly said AI is part of the reason staff at Covalen are losing their jobs, but the biggest factor is the transfer of a Meta project to another subcontractor. He said many workers feel frustrated because they are subject to a "cooling off" clause that means they cannot work for another Meta subcontractor for six months. He said many workers do not have enough service to qualify for statutory redundancy. "There's a lot of uncertainty," he said."

""For some, the amount they would get in statutory redundancy, if they qualify, is not even the same as the rent for a one bed apartment," he said. "These people have families and children. A lot of foreign nationals were recruited from their own countries and brought here," he said. "The moment they are redundant, they don't even get a plane ticket home.""

"He worked on a pilot for the Meta project. He described individuals "feeding information into the AI machine" in which they would pretend to be "bad actors" including individuals posing as adults trying to contact children or ask questions about suicide."

Read at Irish Independent