All Eyes Are On Asiwaju Bola Tinubu As Layoffs Loom At Nation Newspaper
LAGOS MAY 15TH (NEWSRANGERS)-Job losses are on the way at one of country’s leading newspapers, The Nation.
Members of staff of the newspaper are facing uncertain future in view of the development, having read the mindsets of the individuals that operate at the higher level of the media outfit that ‘cutting costs by cutting employees is inevitable’.
Family member of a staff of the newspaper in Abuja told NewsRangers reporter that they are already feeling the heat.
“My brother could not provide what he promised to buy for me a few days ago because all the staff took salary cuts of 50 percent. Some even went home with as low as N10,000 and N15,000, that is for those already on loan. I thought he was deceiving me until I later confirmed that it was true,” a lady whose brother works with The Nation newspaper in Abuja told NewsRangers correspondent.
Another source also told our reporter that the management of the newspaper has already taken decision to consider staff cuts but diplomatic in respect of how to get it done.
The staff will according to a source be asked to go on compulsory leave on a promise that they will be asked to return to work after the coronavirus crisis, this many workers considered as automatic sack.
They will also be told that they are not entitled to salary during the stay at home period. But after some hue and cry, we learnt that they will be given 20 per cent of their salary during the period. That is to say some of them will be earning N5,000 and N8,000 during the compulsory leave.
We learned that those in the junior staff category are already grumbling and that this may graduate to a roar. Should the management go ahead with the plan.
The Nation newspapers junior staff workers are of the opinion that it will be wrong to ask majority of them who earn ‘insignificant’ salary to embark on compulsory leave when the salary of a top management staff can pay that of fifteen junior staff.
‘There is no problem, we know there is a pandemic that the whole world is battling with which has got the world economy to a standstill but the ‘ogas at the top’ should also realize that the salary of one among them can take care of fifteen junior staff.
“When there was fraud months ago which amounted to about six hundred and fifty million naira could not be accounted for, things did not fall apart why should there be a decision now to the detriment of those in the junior staff category. They should fear God’ said a source.,” NewsRangers source stated.
Dependable Sources informed our correspondent that before the coronavirus, the Nation Newspapers management has perpetually put workers under bondage as there are many workers who have been stagnated for between 10 and 12 years without promotion, while those who are management cronies enjoyed accelerated promotion with some of them contributing little to nothing to the development if the organisation.
Another source said Asuwaju Tinubu who owns the company meant well for the organization, but unfortunately, he seemed to have crowded the organisation with people with personal ambition rather than those with genuine interest to improve the lot of the organisation.
‘Do you know it is only The Nation where junior reporters get between N40 or N50 thousand as salary. Some of those who have spent over 10 years do not earn up to N100 thousand, while management employ their cronies and family members and fix them in juicy positions which gave those people access to loot the company dry, and were. also given soft landing when they left so they could go and enjoy their loot quietly.
“I wish Tinubu could raise a private and independent body to audit the company since its establishment, that is when he would realise those he put in charge are meant to destroy his good name and get the company bankrupt, ” another source who did not want his name on print disclosed.
Meanwhile, all eyes are currently on the publisher, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who had on two occasions in the past ordered a halt to ‘retrenchment plan’ while the staff have resolved to accept whatever comes.
The management had tried to justify its action by saying that Tinubu gave them the go ahead to run the place like a business empire but, can the management be trusted to achieve the business plan?
The company has not boast of any savings when the going was good. Under this same management, the company continue to wallow from one case of fraud to another.
This is a company that do not pay workers any yearly bonus nor had they promoted them in the last 10 years except those who had god fathers or connected.
Each time the company makes good money some fraudulent cronies of management surface to defraud the company.
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Posted by News Rangers
on May 15 2020. Filed under National.
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