Telus Layoffs: Barcelona Content Moderation Hub Faces Mass Job Cuts
Telus International, a Canada-based technology company, is laying off nearly 2,000 employees at its content moderation center in Barcelona, following the termination of a contract with Meta Platforms, Facebook's parent company. The local unions CCOO and UGT have confirmed the layoffs, according to a report by Reuters.
Contract Termination Triggers Workforce Reductions
Telus, operating locally as CCC Barcelona Digital Services, informed employees via email on Thursday, placing them on “gardening leave”—a period where employees remain under contract but do not perform duties.
The company's email stated that the decision was made due to the suspension of a client contract. However, union representatives confirmed that the client in question was Meta.
A current and a former employee also revealed that they worked on content moderation for Meta.
Meta and Telus Respond
Telus acknowledged that some clients were transitioning their services elsewhere and assured that affected employees would receive support.
Meanwhile, a Meta spokesperson stated that the company had relocated its content moderation services to other locations but emphasized that content review operations had not been scaled down.
The Barcelona center previously handled content moderation in Catalan, Dutch, French, Hebrew, Portuguese, and Spanish. Telus also operates similar centers in Bulgaria, Colombia, Portugal, and other countries.
