Addressed to CPL, Covalen, Meta, and the Irish Government
To Covalen workers, your families and friends, community organisations, sports clubs, churches, elected representatives, tech workers, workers across all sectors, and trade unionists everywhere:
We are writing as Covalen workers and employee representatives, organised through DATA-CWU, in response to the announcement of over 720 redundancies. This letter is directed clearly and deliberately at CPL, Covalen, Meta, and the Irish Government, all of whom have responsibility for what happens next.
This situation was not created by workers. Covalen staff met targets, adapted to constant change, moved between roles and projects when required, and delivered value under difficult and often unstable conditions. They did so in good faith. They are now facing job loss during an acute cost-of-living crisis, with little protection and no certainty.
For many, redundancy will mean immediate financial hardship. Based on estimates by employee representatives, around 400 workers will receive no statutory redundancy at all, while dozens more will miss eligibility by a matter of weeks under the company’s proposed timeline. Many workers, particularly migrants, do not have sufficient PRSI contributions to qualify for state supports. These are not abstract statistics. They are households facing rent arrears, debt, and upheaval.
This message is for CPL, Covalen, and Meta.
You are not passive observers. CPL controls key financial decisions. Covalen is implementing the process. Meta is the client whose contracting decisions triggered these job losses. Each of you has the capacity to reduce the harm being caused. Choosing not to do so is still a decision, and workers will judge it accordingly.
This message is also for the Irish Government.
Collective redundancy law exists to protect workers from rushed, unfair, and opaque processes. Meaningful consultation is not optional, and it does not begin with a short video call before employee representatives are elected. The state has a responsibility to intervene when the spirit of the law is being undermined and when hundreds of workers are being pushed towards unemployment with inadequate protection.
Our demands are clear
Covalen workers, through their elected representatives, are demanding:
1. Genuine collective consultation
Formal consultation must take place with elected employee representatives, with full records and minutes, and without attempts to divide workers into smaller or separate groups. Anything less undermines the purpose of collective redundancy protections.
2. An enhanced redundancy package
Statutory redundancy is a minimum legal floor, not an adequate response to job losses on this scale. Market norms in Ireland already recognise enhanced redundancy, including provisions for workers with less than two years’ service. CPL and Covalen have the resources to provide this.
3. Transparency on finances
Workers are demanding clarity on whether CPL is offering enhanced redundancy terms, and on what compensation Covalen receives from Meta when contracts are reduced or lost. Meaningful consultation requires access to this information.
4. Payment of earned bonuses
Bonuses due in April and June relate to work already completed or performance already delivered. These payments must be honoured in full and not clawed back through a redundancy process initiated by the company.
5. Waiver of the six-month cooling-off period
These redundancies are imposed, not voluntary. Preventing redundant workers from accessing future employment within the sector only deepens the harm. Covalen should work with Meta to ensure affected staff can apply for available roles on other projects rather than being forced into unemployment.
6. Fair and collective selection criteria
Workers have consistently been moved across roles, projects, and time bands to meet business needs. That flexibility cannot now be used against them. All administrative employees must be included fairly in any redundancy selection process.
To Covalen workers and your families
You are not alone. Your anger, fear, and uncertainty are justified. This is not a personal failure. It is a consequence of decisions taken far above you. Collective action exists for moments exactly like this.
To friends, communities, clubs, and local groups
The people affected live in your areas. They coach your teams, volunteer, and contribute to community life. Large-scale redundancies weaken entire communities. Your support matters, whether through public statements, local pressure, or simply standing alongside workers.
To tech workers and workers in other sectors
What happens here sets expectations for the future of work. If hundreds of workers can be dismissed on minimum terms in a profitable, global industry, no sector is insulated from the consequences.
To trade unionists everywhere
Solidarity across workplaces and sectors is essential. Victories and defeats rarely stay contained. Your voices, statements, and actions help shift the balance of power.
No worker wants conflict. Industrial action and protest are not chosen lightly. They happen when employers refuse to engage seriously with reasonable demands and leave workers no other way to protect themselves.
Covalen, CPL, Meta, and the Government still have the opportunity to change course. Fair consultation, enhanced protections, and basic respect for workers would prevent unnecessary hardship and escalation.
We are asking all those reading this to stand with Covalen workers and to make clear that what is happening here is not acceptable.
In solidarity,
DATA-CWU & Covalen Employee Representatives