The lawsuit was filed against Meta and Sama for unlawful dismissal. But now, things seem to be running in the firm’s favor as a settlement has been agreed upon outside the courtroom.
A total of 184 moderators have come to an agreement with the settlement after a span of five months since the case had been filed. It’s definitely a drastic turn of events which is outlined to be one of the greatest cases that the company has faced in that region of the world.
The news arose after a top labor court in Kenya requested parties to think about reaching a conclusion outside of the courtroom. And finally, both sides agreed.
After a general consensus was received, the parties involved would now be keeping the matter confidential, other than the verdict reached toward the end of the case as that would end up getting filed in court.
Co-mediators were also picked out by the respective parties and the negotiations regarding the matter would take place within a span of three weeks.
If the parties do end up reaching a proper agreement in that particular time slot then great. But if it extends beyond the period highlighted, then the matter would be returned to the Labor Court.
It’s really interesting how both Meta and Sama received a lawsuit from moderators who felt it was unjust of them to simply fire them from the firm without adopting any form of lawful reasoning or protocol. They also complained about not being given accurate notices for termination that usually are administered one month in advance as per the country’s law.
Similarly, Meta was accused of showing discrimination while moderators detailed further about seeking returns for the distress that was caused by these actions. But Sama argued about how it was only paying heed to the laws outlined in Kenya.
Sama also delineated how the moderators it acquired from across the region included countries like Somalia, South Africa, and even Ethiopia. Moreover, the moderators were believed to be involved in removing any posts that they felt promoted hate, violence, and more. And that was enough of a task to negatively affect their peace of mind and overall wellness.
Sama reportedly ended the contract it had with Meta because it wished to put more effort into labeling work so was heading its focus in that direction. But other than getting sued by Meta, Sama is also facing more legal persecution through the likes of Daniel Motaung who happens to be an ex-moderator who handled human trafficking and other similar topics.
He says the company did not provide the right support for workers in terms of mental health protection as well as union busting. And when he tried to create a union in the company with workers, he was fired.
Meanwhile, tech giant Meta is also facing legal action from the country’s Ethiopian citizens who accused the firm of adding fuel to issues that caused the death of 500k citizens throughout the Tigray War which came to an end in 2022.
Clearly, the matter is disturbing and the huge Ethiopian community demanded answers from Meta as it felt the company was the main culprit behind igniting the matter and hence should be punished for the wrongdoing.
Therefore, seeing this matter get settled out of the courtroom is certainly going to be welcomed with open arms by Meta.
Read next: Meta is Elevating Safety in Virtual Playgrounds
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World
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