Twitter’s Failure to Pay Redundancy Money Sparks Legal Battle in Africa

Sacked employees of Twitter in Africa are planning to take legal action against the company for their failure to pay out promised redundancy money. Despite being let go from their positions in November, the former employees claim they were never compensated. The African staff, who had recently moved into a new office in Accra, Ghana, told the BBC that their treatment by Twitter has had a negative impact on their mental health and financial stability. The company, now known as X after being taken over by Elon Musk, has previously stated that it paid ex-employees in full. However, the African contingent says they were immediately locked out of their emails and were not provided with any further salary payments. They have been engaged in a year-long struggle for compensation, facing prolonged periods of silence from X. Legal representation for the staff, provided by Agency Seven Seven, has expressed frustration at the company’s dismissal of multiple deadlines and failure to engage in negotiations. In addition to severance pay, the African staff allege that X has also denied them other work benefits, including health insurance, stocks and shares options, and unpaid leave allowances. Many of the affected employees had relocated from neighboring countries, only to find themselves stranded in Ghana after their contracts were terminated. The staff claim that negotiations with X only commenced after the story gained media attention, suggesting that the company has been reluctant to address the issue. Agency Seven Seven has hinted at the possibility of pursuing legal action against X in other jurisdictions, hoping to hold the company accountable for its treatment of the African team. This lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal challenges faced by X, with numerous ex-employees claiming they have yet to receive proper compensation following Musk’s acquisition of the company. Some ex-employees filed a lawsuit in California earlier this year, accusing X of refusing to pay promised severance packages totaling at least $500 million. Arbitration cases against X globally have surpassed 2,200 as of August this year.