Kampala,
18th-January-2012; over thirty workers of
Top television and Top radio have
gone three months without being paid their monthly salaries.
Top TV and radio are located at Bwaise a suburb of
Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, and are owned by the Christian Life Church.
The workers who talked to Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda
(HRNJ-Uganda) on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter said
that they have not been paid their monthly salaries for the month of October,
received half payment for November and none for December.
“I am one of the most senior employees at the
station but I have not got my salary to date. Am so desperate now given this
hard economic situation in the country.”
The source said.
Efforts to talk to the two stations’ Managing
Director Jackson Ssenyonga who is also the senior pastor of Christian Life
Church were futile as he was reportedly out of the country.
He was due to meet the workers at 2:00PM on Tuesday
17th/Jan/2012, but the meeting did not take place as he was
reportedly locked up in another meeting up to late.
“We did not get any updates from the management and
each of us left one by one as time went on. We have not got any explanation as
to why there has been no salary payment for such a longtime.” said another
source.
The Top TV Station Manager, Charles Musana told HRNJ-Uganda
that as a company, they are dedicated to paying their workers in time except
when they have no money.
“We are so committed to paying our staff, but this
being a private media house, we sometimes fail to raise the money in time, and
as such the staff should wait. We last paid them on the 13th of this
month (Jan). There could be workers with a one-and-half month arrears, but we
shall pay them all.” Musana told HRNJ-Uganda.
However, some workers dismissed Musana’s version as ‘total
lies’.
Top TV has over thirty workers. Top radio has a
string of other upcountry stations including one in Mbale, Mbarara, Masaka,
Rhino in Lira and SMJ formerly called Kampala FM which broadcasts in English.
HRNJ-Uganda has also learnt that apart from the top
managers at the radio and television who have running contracts with the
company, majority of the staff have no contracts at all.
“Yes it is true most of them have no contracts. It
is because the Human Resource Manager who had been hired by the company left before
handing the employees their work contracts.” Musana explained.
“HRNJ-Uganda has noted that for a very long period
of time, journalists’ economic rights have been violated by their employers. The
Constitution under Article 40 provides for the rights of persons to work under satisfactory
conditions and these include remuneration. The Employment Act of 2006 also
echoes the same. So as a rights-based organization, we have undertaken a
research to establish the gravity of the matter and its effect on the media in
Uganda. We call upon the employers in the media sector to respect and uphold
the economic rights of their staff as we strive to strengthen the media in
Uganda. It is also apparent that most of the freelance journalists , who in
most cases contribute the most to journalistic works do not have contracts; this is a grave
infringement to their rights” Noted the HRNJ-Uganda Programme Coordinator,
Wokulira SSebaggala.
For
More Information Contact;
Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda
(HRNJ-Uganda)
Kivebulaya Road at Mengo Kampala Opp. St.
Marcelino Pre. School
P.O.BOX. 71314 Clock Tower Kampala
Tel: +256-414-272934 / +256-414-667627
E-mail: news@hrnjuganda.org
humanrajournalists@yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.hrnjuganda.org
BLOG: http://hrnjuganda.blogpost.com
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