Emmanuel Thomas, Lagos
August 8, 2015 – The Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) is in the process of preparing a bill that would criminalise failure to pay salaries of journalists in government and private organisations.
Chairman NUJ, Lagos State Mr. Deji Elumoye made the revelation while speaking at the August edition of the monthly congress of the NUJ in Lagos.
He said that the president of NUJ, Mr. Abdulwaheed Odusile has informed him that the private bill is part of the project he is working on to make nonpayment of salary a thing of the past in the media.
He explained that the NUJ President will soon meet with President Muhammadu Buhari adding that non-payment of salaries by publishers will be one of the subjects he will table before the President and all other issues affecting the media.
He said that the union has penciled down African Independent Television(AIT) as the next media house to be picketed and that the operation will take place simultaneously in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja. He said that the while AIT owes salary arrears of about two months, Raypower FM is indebted to workers for 14 months.
He explained that THISDAY which paid three months arrear and promised to pay another 3 months by end of July and another by end of August has reneged on the promise.
He said that the media will in the nearest future embark on exercise which will see it shutting down all defaulting media outfits.
Other media houses owing salaries
Daily Independent 18 months and backlog of 4 months salary
Newswatch Times 8 months
Newswatch Magazine 9 months
National Mirror 6 months
Hallmark Newspapers- 6 months
Daily Times – 6 months
Champion Newspapers – 18 months
THISDAY 6 months
Tell: 12 months
News: 8 months
PM News – 8 months
The Union – 5 months and backlogs of 2014
Core Media TV – 8 months
