Unionised journalists at Standard Media are spoiling for a fight with their employer, as the clock ticks towards a major restructing early August that targets a good number of them. KUJ officials say they will stop at nothing to protect the rights and welfare of their members.
If their plan works, media houses in Kenya could be deterred from what it calls malicious sacking of journalists.
Last month, Standard Group, Kenya’s oldest media house, asked its employees to apply for early retirement in an effort to thin its increasing wage bill, giving them one month to do so before a planned restructuring is implemeted. Since then non-unionised journalists and other cadre of staff have been sending in their letters for voluntary retirement.
The union has engaged Ms Judith Guserwa, a leading lawyer in Nairobi, “to study collective bargaining agreement (CBA), labour laws and Standard Group CEO Sam Shollei’s communication,” before taking an appropriate action. In the meantime, it has asked the journalists not to apply for voluntary retirement until they get a legal opinion on the matter.
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The firm has been struggling to remain afloat at a time when its sales revenues have been dipping. The process, according to Mr Shollei, targets about 30% of the employees.
KUJ’s move could set a precedent in the media industry, which has largely been associated with the annual ritual of offloading journalists. About 120 journalists at Standard Group are unionised, and the numbers, according to KUJ, has been rising “tremendously”.
“This should not be allowed to happen. In short, we are preparing a legal duel with Standard to deter other media houses from similar action,” said a KUJ official in confidence.
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