Following more than a year since their dismissal, X, formerly Twitter, has settled the outstanding dues of its former African headquarters’ employees, as confirmed by their representing agency.
These employees, stationed in Accra, Ghana, were abruptly laid off in November 2022 after only a short tenure, prompting threats of legal action due to unpaid redundancy packages. Despite X’s silence on the matter, it had previously asserted full payment to ex-employees.
Under the helm of Elon Musk, who assumed control of the company in 2022, X underwent a substantial global downsizing, resulting in the termination of over 6,000 employees, with Musk citing daily losses exceeding $4 million.
The African team, comprising fewer than 20 members, had recently transitioned to X’s new Accra office after several months of remote work during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Agency Seven Seven, managing legal affairs for the staff, confirmed the successful attainment of redundancy settlements and repatriation costs for foreign employees, although the exact payout amount remains undisclosed.
“They are very pleased to finally be able to get their due, put this behind them and look to the future,” Carla Olympio from Agency Seven Seven told the BBC.
Last year, sacked staffers told the BBC their treatment by X had harmed their mental health and their finances.
“It’s difficult when it’s the world’s richest man owing you money and closure,” one said.
Twitter fired us then ghosted us – Africa staff
They said they were initially told that, although their contracts were being terminated, they would be paid to work for one more month. But they were immediately locked out of their emails and no further salary payments were made.
Since then, the staff said they had been involved in a frustrating battle for compensation.
Some of them had moved from neighboring countries, such as Nigeria. Their contract termination meant they were left stranded in Ghana, along with their families.
In a rare interview last April, Mr Musk told the BBC that the social media giant had 1,500 employees, down from just under 8,000 who were employed at the time he bought the company.
When the news of Mr Musk’s radical staff cull became public, he tweeted that laid-off employees were given three months’ severance pay.
But the staff based in the Africa office say they did not receive this.
According to Agency Seven Seven, X only began negotiations with the sacked Africa staff after the BBC covered the story.
Last year, X was hit by a lawsuit, filed by ex-employees in a California court, for allegedly refusing to pay at least $500m in promised severance packages.
SOURCE: bbc.com