‘We’re Just Getting the Crumbs Here’: Contractors Protest Layoffs at Meta’s European Headquarters

Outside Meta's Dublin office on Friday, a sea of contract workers gathered, waving flags and brandishing signs that read 'Fairness for Covalen Workers.' The protesters, armed with whistles and vuvuzelas, were united in their demand for a better severance package as they face layoffs. The workers, employed by Dublin-based Covalen, provide content moderation and data labeling services that help Meta fine-tune its AI products. However, in April, Covalen informed 700 employees that their jobs were at risk due to 'reduced demand.' A significant number of the affected workers won't receive any severance because they've been employed for less than two years.

The rest are being offered the minimum payout required under local labor laws—two weeks' pay for every year of employment—according to the Communications Workers' Union (CWU). 'We're just getting the crumbs here,' Aadel Obaid, a team manager at Covalen who is part of the planned layoffs, said. 'Give us a little bit of the pie.' The workers are seeking double what's currently being offered and at least some form of payment for workers who don't meet the two-year threshold.

They also want to be released from a 'cooldown period' that prevents them from working on another Meta account for six months after being laid off. The protesters began their rally outside Covalen's corporate headquarters, creating a wall of sound with drums, boos, whistles, and shouts. They then marched to Meta's nearby European headquarters, slowing traffic to a crawl.

As they arrived at the complex, two security guards blocked their way, but the group set up at the gates and began another round of chants: 'We scrub the feed. We take the pain. Meta profits from our strain.' According to John Bohan, an organizer at the CWU, Meta could use its leverage as an anchor client to pressure Covalen into offering its employees an enhanced severance package.

The workers' demands have been met with support from onlookers, with some Dubliners applauding as they passed by. The protest highlights the often-overlooked role of contract workers in the tech industry, who play a crucial part in training AI models but often receive little recognition or compensation. As the workers chant and whistle outside Meta's gates, their message is clear: they won't be left behind without a fight.