“We Condemn The Decision”, IT Minister On Mass Layoffs At Twitter

IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has reportedly condemned Twitter India’s mass layoff saying, “We condemn the way Twitter has sacked employees in India. They should have given the employees a fair time for transition.”

It is to be noted here that the mass sacking of Twitter employees in the country has turned out to be one of the biggest tragedies of 2022; hence, the IT minister coming out on this wide and open will get many acceptance in the country.

The minister has spoken about the issue for the first time.

US-based microblogging site Twitter sacked nearly 50% of its Indian workforce after Elon Musk took over the company’s reins. The move, also dubbed Twitter’s titanic moment, saw about 150 employees being issued the pink slip.

Many former Twitter employees, including the company’s communications head in the country, Pallavee Walia, took to Twitter to post about the dismissals and also shared on good and bad experiences of working at the company.

While it is not official what posts have been vacated at its Indian offices, reports and Inc42 sources suggest that layoffs took place across sales, communications, engineering and marketing verticals, among others.

Musk claimed in a tweet that all the laid off employees were given a three-month severance. The company fired more than 3,700 employees across the world.

What’s Happening At Twitter?

Elon Musk acquired Twitter in a $44 Bn deal after a to and fro over concerns about bot accounts, deal shelving for several months and a small, but bitter legal battle.

Post the takeover, Musk fired several top executives, including Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal and legal head Vijaya Gadde.

The mass layoffs began barely a week after Musk took over the company, including reports that the new management was looking at mass layoffs as part of a restructuring exercise. That is, many knew that layoffs were coming as Musk looked to turn around Twitter’s financial health. 

Besides, Musk also unveiled plans to generate new streams of income. First order of business came in when the business tycoon announced an $8 monthly fee for verified Twitter users. While the move has seen a major uproar, Musk is adamant about charging the subscription fee to reduce revenue dependency on ads.