Ex-Twitter Staff in Ghana Finally Win Settlement

Former staff members of Twitter’s African headquarters in Ghana have finally received a settlement after about a year of negotiations with the company, now known as X. The agreement comes after the employees were laid off in November 2022, shortly after Elon Musk acquired the company.

Represented by the Accra-based firm Agency Seven Seven, the 11 former employees reached a settlement that includes a fair redundancy package and repatriation expenses for foreign staff. The specific terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

The layoffs in Ghana followed Musk’s acquisition of Twitter and were part of a broader restructuring effort that saw thousands of employees let go worldwide. While Musk initially tweeted that departing employees were offered three months of severance pay, the Ghanaian staff claimed they were not provided with this offer.

The situation garnered attention both locally and internationally, with the employees alleging that Twitter, now X, had violated Ghanaian labour laws and acted in bad faith. They accused the company of failing to comply with redundancy regulations and discriminating against them compared to employees in other jurisdictions.

After months of negotiations, the former staff members, represented by Agency Seven Seven, successfully secured a settlement from X. While the exact amount of the settlement was not disclosed, the employees expressed relief and satisfaction in being able to put the ordeal behind them and move forward.

The case highlights the importance of adherence to labour laws and fair treatment of employees, particularly in multinational corporations operating in different jurisdictions. Despite the challenges faced by the former Twitter employees in Ghana, their perseverance and advocacy ultimately led to a favourable resolution.