Contractors protest layoffs at Meta's European headquarters

At a glance:

• Over 700 contract workers at Dublin-based Covalen face layoffs, with many receiving no severance due to short employment terms
• Striking workers marched to Meta's European headquarters demanding double severance and removal of a six-month cooldown period
• Meta attributes layoffs to reduced demand and vows to strengthen internal systems while denying responsibility for contractor staffing decisions

The protest outside Meta's Dublin doors

On a sunny Friday afternoon in Dublin, over 150 contract workers from Covalen gathered outside Meta's European headquarters, their voices rising in chants and their whistles cutting through the air. The scene was charged with urgency: workers waved Irish and union flags, brandished handmade signs, and used vuvuzelas to amplify their message. Their target was clear—Meta, though the immediate employer was Covalen, the Dublin-based firm that handles content moderation and data labeling for the tech giant.

The workers are not alone in their struggle. The Communications Workers’ Union (CWU), whose members include Covalen employees, has been supporting the action. According to the union, Covalen informed 700 employees in April that their jobs were at risk, citing reduced demand for their services. A large portion of these workers are data annotators, a role that involves scrutinizing AI-generated content for illicit material and crafting prompts to test safety mechanisms. The job, as one worker described to WIRED, involves enduring disturbing content and even simulating harmful personas for extended periods.

The severance situation has become a flashpoint. Under Irish labor law, workers with less than two years of service receive nothing, while those with longer tenure get a minimum of two weeks’ pay per year. The striking workers are asking for double this amount and some compensation for those who fall short of the two-year threshold. Additionally, they want Meta to lift a cooldown period that bars laid-off workers from taking new contracts with Meta for six months—a policy the company previously defended as industry standard.

Meta's response and the broader context

Meta spokesperson Erica Sackin told WIRED that the company would be reducing its reliance on third-party vendors and strengthening internal systems. She emphasized that the protesting workers are not Meta employees, and that staffing decisions rest with Covalen. This response echoes Meta's earlier statements during its own round of layoffs, where the company announced it would cut 10 percent of its workforce, or 8,000 people, with affected employees reportedly receiving four months’ pay plus two weeks per year of service.

The disparity in treatment has fueled resentment. While Meta employees may receive generous packages, Covalen workers face uncertainty. Amine Mouhouvi, a data annotator who was laid off a month after moving from France, highlighted the personal toll. The cooldown clause effectively forces him into a six-month unemployment period, he said. “If you’re not going to give us benefits, at least let us work,” he told WIRED.

The protest is not an isolated incident. Covalen has cut nearly half its workforce since November, with the majority of recent layoffs affecting data annotators. Before Friday’s march, workers had already staged two days of strikes, with one sign reading, “Zuck the Cuck Loves Watching His Contractors Get F#CK€D.” The union has pledged to escalate industrial action in the coming month.

Labor law challenges in Ireland

The workers face significant structural hurdles. Unlike in the US or UK, Ireland does not require employers to recognize unions that gain sufficient employee support. Covalen has refused to recognize the CWU, leaving the union with limited leverage. Legal experts say this permissiveness stacks the odds against workers.

“The big weakness in Ireland is this utter inability even to get the employer to sit down,” said Michael Doherty, a law professor at Maynooth University specializing in labor disputes. “It’s pretty much open season.” While workers hope to appeal to Meta’s sense of morality, Doherty remains skeptical. “Call me cynical, but I don’t believe much in morals when it comes to labor rights,” he said.

Despite the challenges, the workers remain resolute. “We’re here because it’s the right thing to do,” said Tulio Dias de Assis, a quality analyst representing affected workers in severance negotiations. “We still want to prove our point, so that Meta is aware of what's going on.”

What comes next for the workers and Meta

The immediate future for the striking workers is uncertain. The layoffs are set to take effect at the end of June, though some affected employees have been moved to alternative roles within Covalen. The cooldown period remains a key sticking point, as it limits workers’ ability to secure new positions with Meta’s network of contractors.

For Meta, the situation underscores the growing complexities of relying on third-party vendors for AI training and content moderation. As the company invests heavily in AI development, the human labor behind its systems becomes increasingly visible—and vulnerable. The Dublin protest is likely to draw attention to the broader conditions of contract workers in the tech industry, particularly as AI adoption accelerates.

The workers’ actions also highlight the tension between corporate efficiency and labor rights. While Meta frames its vendor reduction as a strategic move, the human cost is undeniable. For now, the protesters in Dublin are making their voices heard, hoping their efforts will lead to meaningful change in how contract workers are treated in the age of AI.