Confusion in Tinubu’s TVC as trade unions allege lack of due process in sack of 145
Combined ferocious forces of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Radio, Television, Theatre and Art Workers Union of Nigeria (RATTAWUN) have said they have studied the scenario surrounding the Friday sack of 145 workers by owners of TV Continental and alleged that common due process was not followed in the disengagement.
The unions, in interviews the unions averred that they would take up the matter with the management of the media organisation.
According to the chairman of Lagos NUJ Council, Mr Deji Elumoye investigations by the council revealed that TVC had a lopsided remuneration system where a few expatriates and management staff earned more salaries than the entire workforce.
According to him, “the sack was ill-timed; the organisation was clocking 10 years and was supposed to be celebrating its anniversary”.
“We even have the case of an expatriate whose salary is more than half of the salaries of the entire workforce that has been sacked.
“I do not know why the company had that type of structure at the top, where an individual is earning more than what the 145 disengaged staff were earning.
“The sack came at a very wrong time when the media is going through a trying period and we believe the management did not get their priorities right,” he said.
While stressing that the commando-style of the sack did not comply with labour laws, Elumoye revealed that NUJ gathered that the staff were served letters after a long wait, without their severance packages.
He said “We want to engage the management on why they were disengaged the staff without provision for their severance packages.
“It has been in the news for some time, the management ought to have worked on it and given them their cheques, compute their entitlements and also give it to them.
“To us, an injury to one is an injury to all and that is why we (the NUJ) will engage the management on why they should do this, especially when they are talking of their 10th anniversary,’’ he said.
In his reaction, Mr. Dare Durosimi, Lagos Council Chairman, RATTAWU, said that the sack was wrong and ill-timed, noting that “I think this happened because of the economic situation. They want to restructure to make more money; all the same, we are shocked about this”.
“We will go into the issue to know what happened so that we can come up with an official position.
“We will visit the organisation and also see the affected staff, so as to take necessary action.
Business Hilights had reported on Friday that the Board of Continental Broadcasting Services Ltd (CBS), managers of Television Continental (TVC), and Radio Continental in Lagos, on Friday, laid off 145 staff.
CBS claimed in the statement the management took the decision as part of efforts to restructure its enterprises.
