Twitter Inc has secured a ruling allowing the social media company to force several laid-off workers suing over their termination to pursue their claims via individual arbitration than a class-action lawsuit. US District Judge, James Donato, ruled that five former Twitter employees pursuing a proposes class action accusing the company of failing to give adequate notice before lacing them off after it’s acquisition by Elon Musk must pursue their claims in private arbitration. Donato granted Twitter’s request to force the five exemployees to pursue their claims individually, citing agreements they signed with the company. Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last year, Donato had ruled that, Twitter must notify the thousands of workers who were laid off after it’s acquisition by Musk following a proposed class action accusing the company of failing to give adequate notice before termi-nating them. The judge said before asking workers to sign severance agreements waiving their ability to sue the company, Twitter must give them “a succinct and plainly worded notice.”
Twitter laid off roughly 3,700 employees in early November, 2022 in a cost-cutting measure by Musk, and hun-dreds more subsequently resigned. In December last year, Twitter was also accused by dozens of firmer employees of various legal violations stemming from Musk’s takeover of the company, including targeting women for layoffs and failing to pay promised severance. Twitter is also facing at least three complaints filed with a US labour board claiming workers were fired for criticising the company, attempting to organise a strike, and other conduct protected by federal labour law.
