Mercy Auma
Kenyan journalists working with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) are set to get a 7% salary increment effective August 1, 2021.
According to a local publication, the salary increment is following an agreement between the media house and the Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ). The two are said to have signed a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
“We will now start to update pay for the September payroll and will backdate any increases to 1 August,” the memo read in part.
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, journalists have been subjected to tough working conditions with some laid off and others forced to take salary deductions.
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This, according to a majority of media houses was necessitated by the tough economic conditions resulted from Covid-19.
Last year in June, KUJ faulted Mediamax Network Ltd CEO Ken Ngaruya for ordering the firing of over 100 employees at night, through SMS’s.
The media house faced backlash for firing over 100 employees and forcing others to take salary pay cuts.
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In a statement, KUJ secretary-general Erick Oduor said that the move was a contravention of the law and unfair best practices that Labour and Employment Court has ruled against In similar cases brought before it in the past.
KUJ further stated that the media house was taking advantage of Covid-19 to fire workers unprocedurally.
“The company has taken advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to subject employees to unfair labour practice which include the unilateral introduction of pay cuts, withholding salaries and now unfair termination of contracts disguised us redundancy. While we condemn this illegal and unfair labour practice, which the Constitution of Kenya outlawed In 2010, we demand that the company puts this exercise on hold to pave the way for consultations to comply with the law,” he added.
Various cases regarding the same are ongoing in court and yet to be determined.
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