TikTok confronts serious legal allegations after 400 UK content moderators filed employment tribunal claims accusing the Chinese-owned platform of deliberately firing unionizing workers just days before a critical vote.

Quick Take

• 400 UK TikTok content moderators were terminated one week before scheduled union recognition vote
• Workers claim company violated UK trade union laws and unfair dismissal protections
• TikTok denies union-busting, attributes layoffs to AI-driven restructuring
• Moderators sought better protections against traumatic content exposure
• Company reports 91% of problematic content now removed automatically

Union Drive Meets Corporate Restructuring

The terminated employees were organizing through the Communication Workers Union to establish collective bargaining rights. They specifically demanded enhanced workplace protections and greater input into content moderation workflows. The timing of their dismissal—occurring just one week before the union recognition vote—forms the cornerstone of their legal complaint filed with UK employment tribunals.

John Chadfield, CWU’s national officer for tech workers, characterized content moderation as “the most dangerous job on the internet.” He emphasized that these workers regularly encounter child sexual abuse material, executions, war footage, and drug-related content while maintaining TikTok’s platform safety for 30 million monthly UK users.

Company Defense Centers on Technology Shift

TikTok categorically rejected union-busting accusations, labeling them “baseless.” Company representatives attributed the workforce reduction to strategic restructuring focused on artificial intelligence integration. The platform claims its automated systems now identify and remove 91 percent of policy-violating content without human intervention.

The restructuring announcement came in August 2024, coinciding with the London office unionization efforts. TikTok’s London headquarters housed hundreds of content moderators who were actively pursuing union recognition when the company revealed its AI-focused operational changes.

Worker Safety Concerns Drive Legal Action

The dismissed moderators emphasized their working conditions involved high-pressure, low-wage positions with insufficient resources and staffing. They argued that human oversight remains essential for platform safety, challenging TikTok’s rush toward automated moderation systems. Their legal filing alleges violations of UK employment protections specifically designed to prevent retaliation against union organizing activities.

Chadfield previously warned that cutting human moderation teams for “hastily developed, immature AI alternatives” compromises both worker safety and public protection. The union official suggested the layoff timing demonstrated corporate prioritization of profits over employee rights and platform security.