Sacking of 145 Staff by CBS Is a National Embarrassment – NUJ

Hamilton Nwosa
Writer

Ad

Emergency in Rivers: Romancing impunity?, ByEbun Olu-Adegboruwa 

By Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN “I urge every Nigerian home and abroad to try and live within the confines of the law of the land and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. If we are able to do just that, we will be sure of ensuring that peace and unity reign in the country.…

#EndSARS Report: Adegboruwa Raises Alarm On Death Threats

Rethinking Retirement in Nigeria: The Case Against Age Discrimination, By Sonny Iroche

By Sonny Iroche Introduction I have always believed that there should be no discrimination on the basis of age. Just as in the United States and many other advanced democracies, ability, competence, and health, not the calendar, should determine whether a person continues to serve their nation or profession. Nigeria, ironically, has consistently entrusted its…

Dangote Vs PENGASSAN Face-off Escalates as NLC Orders Nationwide Strike

By Abiola Olawale The face-off between Dangote Refinery, owned by Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote, and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has continued to escalate as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has ordered full-scale mobilization of its affiliate unions for a nationwide strike. The NLC said it ordered the…

Ad

… As Labour Threatens Action
By ‘Dotun Akintomide
Labour leaders have described the sack of 145 workers by Continental Broadcast Services Ltd (CBS) as a national embarrassment.
CBS is the owner of Television Continental (TVC) and Radio Continental.
Labour leaders who disclosed this on
Saturday in Lagos condemned the mass lay-off.
Expressing his displeasure for the sack, the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State, Mr. Deji Elumoye said the sack was unnecessary and embarrassing to the nation.
According to Elumoye, the sack is uncalled for especially at a time when media houses, including TVC, are under-staffed.
“In most media houses, journalists are overworked. One person covers two to three beats and now they have been sacked. It is unacceptable”, he said.
The NUJ Chairman said CBS has the right to hire and fire but should have endeavoured to pay workers their entitlements before issuing the sack letters.
He said the sack was a wrong way to celebrate the organisation’s 10 years anniversary achieved by the workers.
He said the organisation should have restructured the management level such as the expatriates who are being paid in
dollars rather than sack 80 per cent of the journalists.
The President, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC),  Mr. Bobboi Kaigama also condemned the sack in its totality and said that the organised labour would look into it soon.
”The leaders of the NLC and TUC are in Geneva for the International Labour Organisation conference.
“We will take action on it when we return,” Kaigama said.
Also, TUC Secretary General, Mr. Musa Lawal, told The New Diplomat that the number of workers sacked was unacceptable because it would increase the level of poverty already suffered by the people.
Lawal said that it was not proper for the private sector employer to sack that number of workers at once over little economic shakeup while expatriates are retained and paid in hard currency.
He said that the organised labour leaders would look into the issue when they returned from the ILO conference.
However, the CBS management in a statement said the sack was necessitated by the need to restructure the organisation. Ms Regina Whenu, Associate Consultant to CBS who signed the statement, said; ”this restructuring is geared toward repositioning the business for better and greater delivery of services to audiences and advertisers alike.
‘‘In line with these changes, we are reconfiguring our workforce as part of rationale to achieve our objective”, She added that the winding up of TVC Africa would allow it to concentrate on key areas of business which include TVC news, TVC Entertainment and Radio
Continental.
She said the board of directors had approved a generous severance package for the affected staff, in addition to a
programme of assistance to enable them secure new employment.

Ad

Unlocking Opportunities in the Gulf of Guinea during UNGA80
X whatsapp