Workers at Meta subcontractor Covalen will strike on Thursday and Friday in an ongoing dispute over trade union recognition and redundancy terms.
Staff at the Irish-based business, who review material on the high-tech giant’s social media outlets for safety, have been fighting an ongoing battle for their right be represented by the Communications Workers’ Union (CWU).
Union members will strike on Thursday and Friday, February 15th and 16th, when they will picket Covalen’s offices at the Nova Atria building in Sandyford Business Park in Dublin.
Their action follows a strike earlier this month.
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The CWU maintains that Covalen, a subsidiary of recruiter CPL, has failed to “engage meaningfully” on issues including union recognition, improved redundancy packages for 300 people facing lay-off, a pay review, and improved annual and sick leave.
Covalen intends making 300 staff redundant, less than its originally proposed 435, but is offering just the minimum statutory payments to those it is letting go.
Their union argues that this is out of line with technology industry as a whole, which generally offers more generous terms than those set by legislation.
In addition, the union says that many of those losing their jobs are short of the two years’ service needed to benefit from statutory protection, so will get nothing.
Many of these workers are from outside the EU and have only recently renewed work permits, so the impending loss of their jobs is causing them anxiety over their status here.
Ian McArdle, deputy secretary of the CWU, noted that the trust and safety work done by Covalen staff for online platforms was critically important, while it exposed them to illegal and damaging content.
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“How these workers are being treated by Covalen, with offers of redundancy terms that fall well short of industry norms and the company’s refusal to engage with their union representatives, is totally unacceptable,” he said.
John Bohan, organiser of the CWU’s Digital and Techworker Alliance, said that collective bargaining could secure “job protection, pay increases, improved redundancy terms, recognition of service, paid sick leave and real hybrid and remote working policies”.
The company said it continued to engage directly with workers.
“Covalen has worked hard on its redeployment programme and to date has successfully redeployed a significant number of employees, 135 employees,” said a statement.
“In the meantime, the company will continue to engage with our teams and our commitment to direct and meaningful dialogue remains unchanged.”
