Standard Group Staff Threaten Strike Over Unpaid Salaries

The Standard Media Group (SMG) risks having a majority of its operations crippled from January 6, 2023 after the Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) urged their staff to down their tools.

In a statement seen by Viral Tea, KUJ on Friday, December 30 warned the Mombasa Road-based media house of adverse consequences over its alleged non-payment of salaries, remittance of Sacco savings and statutory deductions and exploitation of staff.

The union, under Secretary General Erick Oduor, marked seven days since it issued SMG with a strike notice over the aforementioned issues, which it argued, are in violation of labour laws and the Constitution.

"All the above have serious implications on staff who are on the verge of losing their savings in the Sacco and are likely to face difficulties in future when applying for some vital documents. 

"The company cannot hide behind the post Covid19 effects, since the violation of workers’ rights started before the pandemic," KUJ pointed its accusing finger at SMG.

The union further claimed that the company used dubious means to remove staff from the union in order to expose them for exploitation. In addition, the company declined to implement some clauses of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), particularly payment of Leave Allowance.

These, they added, paved the way for the violation of workers’ rights and now non-payment of salaries that has seen staff owed three-months salary arrears, something that the management allegedly refused to address or communicate to the staff.

"This is inhuman and demonstrates impunity as staff have for the past three months struggled to meet their financial obligations in the wake of the soaring cost of living being experienced across the country. The staff have been deprived of dignity, especially during this festive season when families enjoy the fruit of their hard labour.

"This insensitivity and don’t care attitude has been going on for three months, and to add salt to the injury, the management has unilaterally decided to chop salaries of staff in total disregard to the Employment Act that protects salaries of staff from unlawful deductions. The company only 80 per cent of staff salaries for the month of October, and kept quiet about the remaining 20 per cent," added KUJ.

Under Article 41 of the Constitution, all employees are entitled to fair labour practice but the media house has over the past few years demonstrated that the rights of employees do not matter.

KUJ exposed how SMG arbitrarily enforced pay cuts at the height of Covid-19 while other companies followed due process. This was overturned by the court and SMG was informed that the deducted money will be treated as a debt, pending the determination of the matter.

"As if this was not enough, the company went ahead to suspend pension to punish staff further, and when it was reinstated, the company altered the scheme to the disadvantage of the staff.

"The company has also been dragging its feet on pending Collective Bargaining negotiations to improve terms and conditions of service for the staff for a year now," added KUJ

As a result, the union issued a 14-day strike notice on Friday, December 23 and is calling on the staff to withdraw their labour from January 6 in the event its demands in the strike notice are not met.

Salary woes have been rampant within the company owned by the late Kenya's second President Daniel Arap Moi's family as alleged financial constraints saw staff experience delays in receiving their monthly salaries.

Sources at the media house had informed Viral Tea on Wednesday, September 7 that they did not receive their dues for the month of August, mostly packed with the general elections on Tuesday, August 9.

However, SMG resorted to mass firing exercises through notices to staff, a move the media house said was due to the disruption of its business in 2020 and 2021 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic which it added has continued to negatively impact its revenues.

Inside converged newsroom at Standard Media Group. /STANDARD DIGITAL