This is the second time the company is restructuring in a period of around seven months after over 160 employees were fired in October, 2019.
In a notice dated Thursday, May 21, seen by kenyagist.com, Mediamax acting CEO Ken Ngaruiya, stated that the measure was necessitated by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic that has had adverse effects on its revenue streams.
A set at K24 studios in Nairobi
Additionally, the letter stated that some positions in the company would be abolished as part of the optimisation measures.
“The services of some employees will be rendered superfluous thereby necessitating the termination of their employment on account of redundancy,” read an excerpt from the letter.
Employees whose positions will be declared redundant will be given one month’s notice or alternatively be paid one month salary in lieu of notice.
The media house’s HR policies provide for the laid-off workers to receive a severance pay at the rate of fifteen days pay for each year of service.
“Further, the affected employees will be paid their salary for the period up to and including the date of termination and all accruing benefits, including leave days earned but not taken,” the statement concluded.
The fight between the K24 CEO and the journalists at the media house has made headlines since April, with the journalists taking the matter to court.
The 180 journalists who sued the company, argued that they were not consulted before the firm came up with the compulsory 50% pay cut for them.
Speaking to kenyagist.com, David Ondieki, the lawyer representing the journalists in the matter informed that the court had earlier stated, that the media house had the option of sending the workers home on unpaid leave.
“The court had given an open door for the employer to look at the option of sending them on unpaid leave. However, the unpaid leave has to be properly tabulated that they are unable to pay the salaries.
“For them to be unable to pay the salaries, they have to prove that they are unable. The employer has not proved that yet and that might be a short cut to sack the journalists,”: Ondieki told this writer.
He added that the matter was still pending in court.
Journalists who spoke to this writer had mixed feelings about the current situation.
“Employees who will survive this process now expect a better salary arrangement. All employees whose names appeared in that court suit, have not received their April salaries,” a journalist at the broadcaster who preferred to stay anonymous told kenyagist.com.
“But basically chances are high K24 might be switching off soon,” another told our news desk.
File photo of K24 news studio.
