Covalen workers protest at Meta's HQ in Dublin

Employees of the outsourcing firm Covalen staged a protest at Meta's Dublin headquarters, voicing concerns over potential job cuts. Covalen, a key provider of content moderation and AI training services for Meta, recently informed staff and the government about approximately 720 possible redundancies. This announcement follows Meta's March statement detailing plans to implement advanced AI systems, which are expected to reduce the company's need for third-party suppliers in content moderation.

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These workers carried out essential work for Meta every single day. Yet when their jobs are threatened and disappear, they are treated as somebody else’s problem.

The protest, involving pickets at Covalen's offices, also highlighted disputes over redundancy payments and union recognition. Fionnuala Ní Bhrógáin, Head of Organising for the Communications Workers' Union (CWU), emphasized the critical role these workers play. "These workers carried out essential work for Meta every single day," she stated. "Yet when their jobs are threatened and disappear, they are treated as somebody else’s problem."

Ní Bhrógáin further criticized the situation, asserting that outsourced workers should not be expected to serve as "the shock absorbers for the AI transition." A Meta spokesperson confirmed the company's strategic shift towards more advanced AI systems for content enforcement and operations, stating, "As we do that, we’ll be reducing our reliance on third-party vendors and strengthening our internal systems." The company assured that this transformation is being approached thoughtfully, with ongoing reporting on the performance of its AI systems.

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As we do that, we’ll be reducing our reliance on third-party vendors and strengthening our internal systems.

Covalen acknowledged the ongoing transition, stating that the company is proactively consulting with and supporting affected teams while adhering to all obligations. The firm also highlighted its Employee Assistance Programme for well-being support. This situation echoes a previous round of redundancies in November 2025, when Covalen consulted staff regarding potential job losses, ultimately leading to around 300 redundancies out of more than 400 roles initially under threat.

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We’re approaching this transformation thoughtfully, and will continue to regularly report on how these more advanced AI systems are performing.