The Accra-based Twitter team was terminated in November 2022 as part of widespread job cuts implemented by Musk after he purchased Twitter for $44 billion.
Twitter has finally paid severance to its former Accra-based staff members who were laid off without compensation after the social media company's acquisition by Elon Musk.
Twitter has finally paid severance to its former Accra-based staff members who were laid off without compensation after the social media company's acquisition by Elon Musk, according to their lawyer. The Accra-based Twitter team was terminated in November 2022 as part of widespread job cuts implemented by Musk after he purchased Twitter for $44 billion. The former employees claimed they were redundant without receiving any severance pay or benefits, in violation of Ghana's labor laws.
Twitter reached an agreement with laid-off staff from its only African office following about a year of negotiations.
The affected employees in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, were fired in November 2022, weeks after Elon Musk bought the company. They began talks with the social network after their lawyers requested it abide by local redundancy laws.
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Since Musk took over, thousands of staff around the world have been fired or walked out. In Accra, an initial termination letter said employees would receive a month’s notice without any mention of severance packages. A subsequent letter improved terms to a month’s notice plus two months severance but that was still below the three-month severance offer tweeted by Musk on Nov 4, 2022.
The case drew the attention of Ghana’s employment ministry, but the outcome was ultimately decided through direct negotiations between the company and aggrieved employees’ legal representation.
Accuracy
One of former Twitter Ghana employees said their experience should be a lesson for others to stand up for themselves no matter who they are going against and how long it takes. Norvisi Sokpe Ndon said in a LinkedIn post reacting to the news.
Deception
(0%)
The article is deceptive because it does not disclose the sources of its claims and quotes. It also uses emotional language to manipulate the reader's feelings, such as 'welcome', 'beautiful relationship', and 'relieved'. The article implies that Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion when he actually acquired a controlling stake in the company. The article does not provide any evidence or links to peer-reviewed studies for its health and science claims, such as those about severance packages and repatriation expenses.
Jack Dorsey, who was chief executive officer at that time, had also said he sought to move to the country “at some point.”
The company formerly known as Twitter reached an agreement with laid-off staff from its only African office following about a year of negotiations. Most Read from Bloomberg Trump Keeps NY Empire Intact as Judge Rescinds Asset-Sale Order Record US Stock Rally Is Under Threat From a World in Turmoil Systemic Risk Concerns Grow Among Money Managers as Real Estate Woes Cause Turmoil Wall Street’s Moelis Bet Big on the Middle East. Now He’s Cashing In China Stocks Primed for Bullish Reopen After Upbeat Data
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the Ghanaian president and Elon Musk's statements about Twitter's future in Africa without providing any evidence or context for these claims. Additionally, the author presents a dichotomous depiction of Twitter's relationship with Ghana before and after Musk took over, suggesting that there was no positive aspect to their presence in the country prior to his acquisition. The article also contains inflammatory rhetoric by stating that
Bias
(85%)
The article contains examples of religious bias and monetary bias. The author uses language that dehumanizes the African staff by referring to them as 'fired' rather than 'laid off'. This is an example of disproportionate use of negative language that reflects a specific position. Additionally, the author mentions Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter for $44 billion and his subsequent firing of nearly all African staff without any mention or context about why this was done. The article also does not provide any evidence to support these claims, which is an example of monetary bias as it implies that money is the only factor in determining who gets fired. Finally, the author uses language that dehumanizes Twitter by referring to it as 'X' rather than its original name, which could be seen as a form of religious bias.
The article refers to Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter for $44 billion and his subsequent firing of nearly all African staff without any mention or context about why this was done. This is an example of monetary bias.
The author uses language that dehumanizes the African staff by referring to them as 'fired' rather than 'laid off'. This is an example of religious bias.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest with Twitter and Elon Musk as they are both involved in the same legal battle against Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo. The article also mentions Jack Dorsey who is CEO of Twitter.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of Twitter as they are reporting for Yahoo Finance which is owned by Verizon. The company also owns AOL which competes with Twitter.
Twitter reached an agreement with laid-off staff from its only African office following about a year of negotiations.
The affected employees in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, were fired in November 2022, weeks after Elon Musk bought the company. They began talks with the social network after their lawyers requested it abide by local redundancy laws.
Since Musk took over, thousands of staff around the world have been fired or walked out. In Accra, an initial termination letter said employees would receive a month's notice without any mention of severance packages. A subsequent letter improved terms to a month's notice plus two months severance but that was still below the three-month severance offer tweeted by Musk on Nov 4, 2022.
The case drew the attention of Ghana’s employment ministry, but the outcome was ultimately decided through direct negotiations between the company and aggrieved employees' legal representation.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(75%)
I found three examples of deception in this article. The first is emotional manipulation by quoting a sacked employee saying 'It's difficult when it's the world's richest man owing you money and closure.' This quote implies that Elon Musk has not paid what he owes to these employees, but does not provide any evidence for this claim. The second is selective reporting by only mentioning that X was hit by a lawsuit for allegedly refusing to pay severance packages, without providing context or counterarguments. The third is sensationalism in the title 'Twitter Staff Sacked In Ghana Office Finally Get Pay-Off', which implies that X has only now paid the sacked employees, when in fact they had been paid before the article was published.
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
It's difficult when it's the world's richest man owing you money and closure
Twitter Staff Sacked In Ghana Office Finally Get Pay-Off
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy by citing Elon Musk's statement that he was losing more than $4m a day and the fact that X had previously said it had paid ex-employees in full. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the sacked staffers as being owed money and closure, which is not an objective description of their situation.
Elon Musk's statement that he was losing more than $4m a day
The use of inflammatory language to describe the sacked staffers
Bias
(85%)
The article is biased towards the plight of the sacked Twitter staff in Ghana. The author uses language that dehumanizes Elon Musk and portrays him as a heartless employer who does not care about his employees' well-being. The author also quotes an ex-employee who says their treatment by X has harmed their mental health and finances, which is used to further the narrative of Musk being cruel. Additionally, the article uses language that implies that Musk owes money to these employees when it is not clear if this is true or not.
The article quotes an ex-employee who says their treatment by X has harmed their mental health and finances, implying that this is solely due to Musk
The author uses language such as 'world's richest man owing you money and closure' which dehumanizes Elon Musk
The author uses the phrase 'frustrating battle for compensation' which implies that the sacked staff were not fairly compensated
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
There are multiple examples of conflicts of interest in this article. The author has a financial tie to Elon Musk as they mention his name and the company he owns (Agency Seven Seven) is mentioned as being involved in the pay-off for Twitter staff sacked from their Ghana office.
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The African contingent of the company consisted of fewer than 20 staff members who had recently moved into X's new office in Accra following remote work during the Covid-19 pandemic
Twitter, now known as X, has paid off the staff it laid off in its African headquarters more than a year after they were fired
Accuracy
The layoffs in Accra marked a significant shift from the initial positive reception in 2021 when Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo welcomed Twitter's entry.
Negotiations were marked by back-and-forth, with initial termination letters offering a month's notice without mentioning severance packages. Subsequent communication improved terms to a month's notice plus two months severance, falling short of Musk's tweeted promise of a three-month severance offer on Nov. 4, 2022.
The affected employees were represented by Accra-based firm Agency Seven Seven who successfully led negotiations on behalf of former staff members of Twitter Ghana Ltd.
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that X has reached an agreement with laid-off staff from its Accra-based African office. However, there is no evidence to support this claim as the article does not provide any details about the settlement or repatriation expenses for these employees.
The article states that X has reached an agreement with laid-off staff from its Accra-based African office but provides no specifics on what was agreed upon.
There is no mention of a settlement amount in the article, only that negotiations were successful and redundancy settlements and repatriation expenses were negotiated.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the negotiations were successful and that the settlement was fair without providing any evidence or details about it. Additionally, there is a lack of context regarding why Elon Musk dismissed nearly the entire African team in November 2022, which could have been due to various reasons such as cost-cutting measures or poor performance. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric by stating that Musk's strategic move was part of a broader global staff cut under his leadership without providing any evidence or details about it. Finally, the article contains an informal fallacy by using vague language when describing the negotiations and settlement terms.
The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the negotiations were successful and that the settlement was fair without providing any evidence or details about it.
Bias
(85%)
The article is biased towards the laid-off Twitter Ghana staff and their legal representation. The author uses language that portrays Musk's actions as unfair and unjustified, such as 'Musk's strategic move to dismiss nearly the entire African team'. This statement implies that there was no reason for these layoffs, which is not supported by any evidence in the article. Additionally, the author quotes Agency Seven Seven managing partner Carla Olympio extensively without providing context or balance. The language used when describing her clients' relief and looking to the future also suggests a positive outcome for them.
Musk's strategic move to dismiss nearly the entire African team
The negotiations centred on securing a fair settlement and repatriation expenses for foreign staff.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author of the article has a conflict of interest on several topics provided. The author is an employee of Twitter Ghana Ltd., which was involved in a protracted dispute with laid-off staff members. Additionally, the article mentions Carla Olympio and Agency Seven Seven as parties to the dispute, but does not disclose any financial ties or personal relationships between them and the author.
The article mentions Carla Olympio as one of the parties to the dispute but does not disclose any financial ties or personal relationships between her and the author.
The article states that Twitter Ghana Ltd., where the author works, was involved in a protracted dispute with laid-off staff members.
Twitter has compensated employees who were dismissed from its African headquarters more than a year ago
Agency Seven Seven', representing the terminated workers, confirmed achieving a redundancy settlement and repatriation expenses for its overseas employees
'Elon Musk, who took control of Twitter in 2022, had laid off over 6,000 employees across the globe as part of a massive restructuring
X only began discussing severance packages with the dismissed African staff following BBC’s coverage of the incident
Accuracy
``Agency Seven Seven', representing the terminated workers, confirmed achieving a redundancy settlement and repatriation expenses for its overseas employees
`aX only began discussing severance packages with the dismissed African staff following BBC’s coverage of the incident
Deception
(70%)
The article does not contain any direct lies or deception. However, it is sensationalized and emotionally manipulative in its language.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing Elon Musk as the reason for layoffs at Twitter's African headquarters. However, this is not supported by any evidence presented in the article and may be a biased interpretation of events.
> X was recently compelled to settle the dues of its former employees that the firm had dismissed at its African headquarters over a year ago. Such a step was taken following the threat of a lawsuit for not compensating the fired employees with their promised redundancy money.
Bias
(0%)
The author of the article is biased in favor of Twitter and its employees. He uses a sympathetic tone to describe the plight of the laid-off workers, implying that they were unfairly treated by their employer. He also criticizes Elon Musk for his role in the layoffs and questions his motives for cutting costs at Twitter. The author does not provide any balanced or objective information about the situation, nor does he acknowledge any possible reasons why Twitter might have had to restructure its operations.
According to Agency Seven Seven, X only began discussing severance packages with the dismissed African staff following BBC’s coverage of the incident.
In his interview last April, Mr. Musk revealed that X had only 1,500 employees remaining, a significant decrease from the approximately 8,000 employees at the time of his takeover.
X was recently compelled to settle the dues of its former employees that the firm had dismissed at its African headquarters over a year ago. Such a step was taken following the threat of a lawsuit for not compensating the fired employees with their promised redundancy money.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a financial tie with Elon Musk as he is the CEO of Agency Seven Seven which owns Twitter. The article also mentions Carla Olympio who was previously employed by Twitter and may have personal relationships with her former colleagues.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of Twitter layoffs as they are an employee of Agency Seven Seven which is mentioned in the article. The author also has a personal relationship with Carla Olympio who is quoted in the article.
Twitter has paid severance to its former Accra-based staff members who were laid off without compensation after the social media company's acquisition by Elon Musk
The Accra-based Twitter team was terminated in November 2022 as part of widespread job cuts implemented by Musk after he purchased Twitter for $44 billion
The former employees claimed they were redundant without receiving any severance pay or benefits, in violation of Ghana's labor laws
Through their legal representative Agency Seven Seven, the ex-Twitter staffers initiated negotiations with the company to enforce their rights to redundancy compensation under Section 65 of Ghana's Labour Act
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Twitter has finally paid severance to its former Accra-based staff members who were laid off without compensation after the social media company's acquisition by billionaire Elon Musk. However, this statement is false as there are no details about how much severance was paid or when it was paid. Secondly, the article claims that Twitter abruptly terminated its entire Africa team based in Accra as part of widespread job cuts implemented by Musk after he purchased Twitter for $44 billion. This statement is also false because there is no evidence to support this claim and it contradicts other sources which state that the layoffs were due to financial difficulties at the company. Thirdly, the article claims that former employees claimed they were redundant without receiving any severance pay or benefits in violation of Ghana's labor laws. This statement is true but does not provide enough information about what happened after this claim was made and how it was resolved. Finally, the article states that Twitter has successfully negotiated a redundancy settlement on behalf of former staff members of Twitter Ghana Ltd in their quest to get a fair settlement and repatriation expenses for foreign staff. This statement is true but does not provide enough information about what happened during these negotiations or how much was paid out.
The article claims that Twitter abruptly terminated its entire Africa team based in Accra as part of widespread job cuts implemented by Musk after he purchased Twitter for $44 billion. This statement is also false because there is no evidence to support this claim and it contradicts other sources which state that the layoffs were due to financial difficulties at the company.
The article claims that Twitter has finally paid severance to its former Accra-based staff members who were laid off without compensation after the social media company's acquisition by billionaire Elon Musk. However, this statement is false as there are no details about how much severance was paid or when it was paid.
The article states that former employees claimed they were redundant without receiving any severance pay or benefits in violation of Ghana's labor laws. This statement is true but does not provide enough information about what happened after this claim was made and how it was resolved.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy by stating that the former employees claimed they were redundant without receiving any severance pay or benefits in violation of Ghana's labor laws. The author does not provide evidence to support this claim.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement that implies the former Accra-based staff members were redundant without receiving any severance pay or benefits. This is an example of monetary bias as it suggests that the company was not providing fair compensation to its employees.
> The former employees claimed they were redundant without receiving any severance pay or benefits, in violation of Ghana's labor laws.
