By Obbo Yusuf
Pastor Jackson Ssenyonga’s Iganga based radio station 91.1Rfm under Top media consortium staff have declared a sit down strike emanating from 10 months’ of salary arrears.
According to the station manager Mukisa Rogers, in September 2020, Pastor Jackson Senyonga of Christian Life Church tasked him to recruit staff totaling to 8 members, however, for the last 10 months the top management of the Top Media consortium turned a deaf ear to their plea to have their salaries paid and improve the radio signals as well.
Top media consortium started owing Rfm in 2018up-to-date
The disgruntled journalists are dismayed that pastor Senyonga who claims to be a Pentecostal and a religious leader at that keeps doing nonstop “donations” yet he doesn’t pay his workers their hard earned salary.
They claim that the Christian turned radio has been getting businesses but the money is banked directly on pastor Senyonga’s personal bank account for all the years.
As regards to the station facing signal challenges, they say the challenge emanates from the transfer of some of the radio equipment to Jinja.
Salongo Dauda a news reporter with this station said they will not resume with work if their salary is not settled before urging government to intervene in their matters.
“Government should help us and withdraw the license from Media bosses that don’t want to pay workers in order to stop the tendency of bosses exploiting workers.”
The station manager Mukisa Rogers said that due to pressure from staff he decided to suspend the radio station’s operation until their salary arrears are cleared.
Mukisa added that they are also going to write to Uganda communications commission (UCC) ,Press freedom advocating bodies like Iganga Journalists association and Uganda Journalists association to help them on this matter as well a team of lawyers has been notified to seek legal remedies.
“Forget about the frequency if you don’t want to pay us and if you have failed sell off the station to other pastors who are willing to pay their workers and also have good media managing skills.” Said Farouk Balikowa news anchor at 91.1Rfm.
