The technological crisis that is spreading across half the world has also impacted Barcelona. The Facebook subcontractor that controls the contents of the social network from the Agbar Tower in the Catalan capital presented this week to the company committee an employment regulation file (ERO) to fire 334 workers, as confirmed by CC. OO. Sources from the Department of Business and Labor assured that they have received the file and that they will work to reduce the impact. The workforce is around 2,300 people, according to the union.
The subcontractor is called CCC, although it was acquired by the Canadian Telus. Facebook landed in Barcelona in 2018 with half a thousand workers occupying eight floors of the iconic building in the Catalan capital.
Sources of CC.OO. they explained that they will analyze the documentation provided by the company. The aim of the committee – they explained from the union – is to minimize the impact on the workforce and, if that is not possible, to achieve the maximum compensation. In the committee there is CC.OO. and UGT
The same union sources said the company justified the adjustment as an extension of what is happening at other technology companies around the world, where mass layoffs have taken place in recent months. In an email sent to the Facebook subcontractor’s staff, to which La Vanguardia has had access, it is confirmed that there has been a decrease in the client’s workload. This client is exclusively Facebook. In the same communication it is detailed that the areas affected are those that manage the content in Spanish, Italian and French.
The layoffs in the Facebook subcontract in Barcelona come after an ERTE for 680 people. In that process there were about 100 voluntary departures.
Last year the company had been sanctioned by the Labor Inspectorate of the Generalitat for not complying with the psychosocial risk prevention law. A worker who was continuously watching violent images suffered health problems. A Telus spokesperson assured weeks ago that the ERTE is not related or connected to the sanction.
Sources of the workers explained that the last few months have increased casualties due to problems caused by the continuous viewing of violent images. Yesterday it was impossible to know the company’s version.
A few weeks ago the committee also negotiated with the company the elimination of the supplement paid when an employee took a medical leave. It would only be paid if the percentage of workers in this situation is less than 8.5% of the workforce.
