By Hannah Marion Namukasa
The Jinja district senior labour office has set April, 28th, 2021 as the hearing dates for the case of Kiira Fm journalists in which they are demanding the management arrears in salary and NSSF accumulating to four years.
According to the invitation letter seen by this Website, Mr. Walusmibi Andrew, the Jinja senior labor officer said that despite receipt of the management response on the 12th, April, 2021 but the complainants still insist on pursuing their case thus a scheduled meeting to hear the matter.
In their written response to the journalists complainants on the 11th/ April, 2021, the resident director of Kiira Fm who also happens to be the Lutheran Church Bishop in Uganda Charles Isabirye Bameka asserted that most of the complainants left work many years ago while others are serving as volunteers.
Bameka said that since the radio experienced unfortunate incident in September 2018 where the radio’s offices, furniture, file and data were burnt to ashes, the complainant should furnish them with information relating to their terms of employment, remuneration, payment under their employment and claims of the termination information.
Other information asked from scribes include: the complainants full name, age, gender, a photocopy of the national identity card, appointment letter/ proof of appointment stating terms and conditions including remuneration and duration of appointment, designation at Radio Kiira 88.6, period taken at the station, number of the months paid, at what rate and how many months demanded, current status at the station, state whether you are station or not and other document or information which can help in the matter.
It should be noted that Over 20 Jinja city based 88.6 Kiira FM staffs filed a complaint with the area labor office over un cleared four years arrears and unpaid NSSF for four years.
Their complaint came at a time when the station management notified the same office over their forthcoming restructuring which they hadn’t communicated to the staffs thus raising more dust and adding more salt to the injury.
The complaint letter that was seen by this website indicates that the labor office had received the journalists’ complaint, however, out of over 20 journalists, only 13 had appended their signatures while the 7 feared penning down their signatures.
The affected journalists include; Kanyere Hakim, Mwagale Ali, Lubega Ivan, Mande Amuza, Magoola Geoffrey, Buyinza Ronald,Bambi Shamiru, Lukakamwa David, Mulungi Haruna, Mubugumya Shaminah, Mulumba Ben, Seremba Fred Naluswa and Mayengo Geoffrey. These claim over 400M in arrears.
Media exploitation has been highlighted in several Media reports as one of the key challenges being faced by journalists.
