The management of THISDAY Newspapers on Wednesday took a decision to dismiss 13 employees who issued a strike notice to the publication on Tuesday, PREMIUM TIMES can report.A top management staff within the company told PREMIUM TIMES that Nduka Obaigbena, Chairman of Leaders & Company Limited, which runs THISDAY Newspaper titles and Arise TV Network, wrote in an internal memo that the 13 journalists attached to its bureau in Abuja should be paid due salaries, but should be compelled to pay all outstanding debts they owed the company before their contracts are terminated.“Please work out what each of them is owed including pensions, net off all debt to the company and terminate all the appointments with immediate effect,” the source quoted Mr. Obaigbena as saying in an internal memo addressed to the company’s acting head of human resources, Emmanuel Efeni. “This company has policies and will not be run in the village square.”The sacked workers had in the Tuesday correspondence appealed to the paper’s management to clear backlog of salaries, a situation they said had left them unable to “meet our obligations both to our families and other responsibilities.”Citing, amongst other concerns, “an abysmal disregard” of their contribution by the company’s management, the distressed workers warned the company of their resolve to embark on a week strike if their demands fell through.“Should the management fail to pay us by Friday, June 10, 2016, we will have no option than to embark on a one-week warning strike from Sunday June 12, 2016 until June 19, 2016,” they wrote. “Please, note that an indefinite strike will ensue at the expiration of the warning strike.”In the notice, which was collectively-signed by Tobi Soniyi, Olawale Ajimotokan, Patrick Ugeh, Senator Iroegbu, James Emejo, Omololu Ogunmade, Paul Obi, Ndubusi Francis, Dele Ogbodo, Damilola Oyedele, Chineme Okafor, Godwin Omoigui and Onyebuchi Ezigbo, the workers said, “For several years, we have sacrificed everything – emotionally, physically and materially – to ensure the continued survival of THISDAY.”But in his memo, our sources said, Mr. Obaigbena said the reporters “canvassed” for adverts for the newspaper which were not paid for, saying the nonpayment had contributed to the more than N1 billion the paper is being owed in revenues.“For ethical and governance reasons, this should not have been the case,” our sources quoted Mr. Obaigbena as saying in his memo.Another senior official of the company also echoed that position in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES Wednesday.The official, who also elected not to be named, said the matter was more about advertising revenues the reporters owed to the company than it was about their salaries.“These people were going about bringing adverts to the company from individuals and companies who ended up being unable to pay,” the official said. “Up to N400 million is being owed the company now as a direct result of this.”The official said the reporters acted against THISDAY’s long-standing policy that prohibited reporters and other members of the editorial staff from facilitating adverts for the company, saying the reporters flouted the rule because they had hitherto been able to circumvent any formal reprimand.“For more than a decade, we had a rule in place that made it an offence for journalists to solicit adverts from people,” the source said. “They continued the practice because they’ve managed to escape being sanctioned until now.”The source added that most of the journalists fired were owing the newspaper more than the salaries and allowances they complained of being owed.For instance, a reporter is said to be owed N300,000 in unpaid salaries against about N890,000 the said individual owed the company. Another reporter is said to be indebted to the company up to the tune of N1.5 million while the company owed him far less than that.The source also said the company uncovered how some of the reporters were allegedly running advert agencies, a situation he said had had an adverse effect on the output of the company’s marketing department.“We’ve learnt how many of our journalists registered as advertisers in order to take adverts from businesses and earn huge commission,” the source said. “They then fail to remit advert revenues, leaving the company in difficult financial situation.”In a follow up notice sent to the paper’s management early Wednesday, the journalists admitted to taken out adverts that were not paid for, but said that they did it to help bolster the company’s coffers.“To accept that position will amount to punishment for helping the company to bring adverts and improve the company’s financial base,” one of the journalists said.The reporter rejected the company’s decision to force them to make up for unpaid advert revenues, saying “Payment of adverts is not a precondition for salaries.”The latest crisis came a few months after Mr. Obaigbena abruptly terminated the contracts of about half of the company’s employees in Lagos, following disputes about workers’ punctuality. It is unclear if Mr. Obaigbena reinstated any or all the dismissed staff


http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/204971-unpaid-salaries-row-thisday-publisher-obaigbena-orders-dismissal-13-journalists.html

Hmmmmm

No more Dasuki ATM, hence austerity measures have taken over. Smh for sole proprietorship.

No job security whatsoever in the Godforsaken country.
People are not being paid and when they complain, they get fired and nobody does anything.
Where else will people get money to run their lives if not from their place of work?

Nobody checkmates these animals.
Minister of labour, instead of calling for a meeting first, issues threat as a military dictator that he works for.
I hope he issues threats to ThisDay too and then to Dangote, Capital Oil, Innoson, Glo etc.
Lets see how many companies he participated in their creation

Good morning

So the money was there all this while and you refused to pay them? And now they went public you decided to terminate their contracts for asking for what they are being owed. This country is really a hell to live in with no job, no jobsecurity, no security, inflation, poverty, crimes and so many other vices and the people who are supposed to make key decisions that matters are not even helping matters.
Let's see how the Labour organization will handle this one.

The sacking season continues....







#saiBabaa

[size=14pt]This country self, dismissed for saying the truth [/size]

Those journalists should just collect what they can and jump ship ASAP. Thisday and it's parent company are suffering from financial epilepsy.

Have you ever wondered why Zenith, Access, FCMB and GTB always have adverts on the first 5 pages of Thisday? The truth is that Nduka and his company are owing those Banks and he has no money to pay. The banks are therefore running free adverts as substituted payment for his indebtedness.

For instance, he owes Access Bank more than 2billion, owes FCMB 17million and owes Zenith 195million.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/183036-thisday-publisher-nduka-obaigbena-living-on-debt-lawyer.html

Hidding under the effect of harsh economy, to sack employees for demanding their right.

modern slavery

Delphi:
No more Dasuki ATM, hence austerity measures have taken over. Smh for sole proprietorship.

U garrit

@structurem, re-arrange the post for easy read!

Just negodu the man that wrote one trash last month saying Goodluck Jonathan was on self imposed Exile.

Wait o! I hope the reason behind your failure to pay workers aren't connected to the economic harshness??

SAI BUHARI!!

ok

F

All this news of sacking here and there is as a result of the mishap economic policies implemented by President Buhari.

loosing one's job!!!in this economy that is so harsh?? ..

Pay them their money...

Why's sack them?

I heard He was using d bomb attack some years acknowledge as an excuse..

Only in Nigeria and Africa that workers are not paid salaries... And ur employer expects u to come to work by fire by force..


Our leaders past failed us all...

Most of the posters above are headline readers. I am sure they did not read the part that says the said workers collected adverts and refused to remit same to the company, a move against company's policy.

Nduka Obaigbeigba and his broda in AIT are chronic debtors....wonder how these journalist cope sef
this is what NLC should fight ...sacking them because they complain of unpaid salaries is unfair..very unfair

good news... The Niger Delta avengers is now helping their brothers to lose their jobs

Delphi:
No more Dasuki ATM, hence austerity measures have taken over. Smh for sole proprietorship.

stop being a fool...do you think even if Dasuki pays Nduka every month..he will use the Moni to pay staff.? ..no employer of labour does that...
in any case, how much was the Dasuki Moni and how frequent was it...moni that only came on during. election to journalist to use ....or you think Journalist covers event for free..?
Buhari is just doing this to paint Dasuki blak.....
anyone with an unbiased mind knows what is happening..

If the journalists are indeed responsible for unpaid advert fees, they have no moral right to protest unpaid salaries.

onagoodday:
Most of the posters above are headline readers. I am sure they did not read the part that says the said workers collected adverts and refused to remit same to the company, a move against company's policy.

Did u read from the back or u do even know how to read? Was that what the article said? They only canvassed for adverts for the company, and those the advertised are the ones owing not the so called workers refusing to remit. How is this their fault? Younset targets for this same people with silly conditions, and u blame them if their customers default.

Ngige, the clown. This is where he should show his might and not to hapless banks that are being run under by the stupid policies of APC. Our labour laws are crazy and gives all rights to the employer. Where in the world will be be talking about "Notice to strike" "strike vote" "No work no pay" and the decision in FGN v Oshiomhole which posits that fuel price hike does not constitute a term and condition of labour; therefore employees cannot embark on a strike for fuel price increase. The question is; does it not affect how their wages are spent?


Nduka Obaigbena, Jimoh Ibrahim, the Chinese people, Construction companies and the government are the worst employers of labour in this country. They treat their employees like toilet paper.

Oh! How this country will surely miss the late James Eneojo Ocholi (SAN). May his gentle soul continue to rest in the bossom of our Lord. Amen. He was poised to change the face of labour and employer/employee relationship in this country. Ngige does not understand the terrain and should be drafted to the Health Ministry ASAP. Mr Dalung might know what to do in this Ministry.

If u canvassed for adverts for ur company and the clients u brought refused to pay, where do u expect d company to get money to pay u? Nigerians sha!

Nduka didn't pay his London and NY staff either.

What's happened to ARISE.

Don't be upset. Pele....

While the management of this media organisation owes a duty to pay staff salaries as at when due. Those salaries can only be paid if the company generates revenue.

The journalists have no moral right to ask for salaries if they run adverts which are not paid for by clients.

It's not just about making a sale...you also need to make sure you collect the proceeds of the sale and ensure that it enters the coffers of the company.

Everywhere you look in Nigeria people are being dishonest but they turn around to play the victim 'card'

Did u read at all?? They cost close to 1b in losses and the paper is witholding their salaries as sureties/COLLATERAL on the devt they took!

ZUBY77:
No job security whatsoever in the Godforsaken country.
People are not being paid and when they complain, they get fired and nobody does anything.
Where else will people get money to run their lives if not from their place of work?

Nobody checkmates these animals.
Minister of labour, instead of calling for a meeting first, issues threat as a military dictator that he works for.
I hope he issues threats to ThisDay too and then to Dangote, Capital Oil, Innoson, Glo etc.
Lets see how many companies he participated in their creation

Did u read at all?? There is a valid reason for owed salaries

capip120:
So the money was there all this while and you refused to pay them? And now they went public you decided to terminate their contracts for asking for what they are being owed. This country is really a hell to live in with no job, no jobsecurity, no security, inflation, poverty, crimes and so many other vices and the people who are supposed to make key decisions that matters are not even helping matters.
Let's see how the Labour organization will handle this one.