KAMPALA-UGANDA/NEWSDAY: The Buganda Kingdom affiliated BBS Terefayina has bowed to pressure after our expose of staff non payments, and extended some money to its workers.
The workers had threatened to protest and sue unless their 12 month arrears had been paid up, a story that was first reported by Newsday on Friday.
Management convened a crisis meeting and organized money thought to be between Shs.500.000 and Shs.1.000.000 which was sent Friday evening by News editor Peter Muweesi via mobile money to the about 20 aggrieved reporters. As resolved in the 2019, staff meeting the rate per story aired is Shs.15.000.
The lowest contributor of on a monthly basis has at least 10 stories broadcast while the highest average stories is about 25.
“Yes, I have received Shs.17.000 but I don’t know whether it’s for a single story or that all the debt has been paid. We don’t know which month has been paid,” one reporter told us. Another one had received Shs.22.000 while a third, who actually sources said had been the highly paid was given Shs. 80.000.
It also emerged there were complaints from the marketing team over delayed payments of their commissions.
However, there are no complaints with other retained or permanent reporters who earn between Shs.300.000 and Shs. 1.000.000.
BBS’ station manager Dunstan Busuulwa had not responded to our inquiries by the time we published this
In a statement, the workers especially correspondent journalists say they will leave no stone unturned until they are wholly paid.
“Next week we will meet the BBS bosses to have a peaceful talk. If the talks yield no fruits, we will issue an intention to sue with the evidence from unpaid correspondents,” a statement issued by a Nalweyiso reads.
She said they have also rallied Members of Parliament who in the areas of Mubende, Mityana, Kassanda, Kiboga, Kyankwanzi, Gomba, Mpigi and some from greater Masaka who will also assist to scale up their voice.
“We will also schedule a meeting with the Prime minister and the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) to discuss the BBS matter and how to create better working conditions for Uganda’s journalists,” they wrote.
“We have asked those MPs to worker hard to ensure the minimum wage Bill finds its way through. We want a specific clause in the bill which requires termination of licenses and offers heavy punishments to defaulting companies-such as BBS,” the statement reads.
The correspondent also demanded to be issued with working contracts, something BBS is reportedly not doing now for correspondents.
About BBS
BBS is owned by businessman Freeman Kiyimba who has 49 percent of the shares. Buganda Kingdom owns 51 percent. Unlike other corporate companies, whenever BBS manages to pay remunerations, it does so by using mobile money.
On their website, it is written that Buganda Broadcasting Service is the official broadcasting Television of the Buganda Kingdom mandated to create and engender informative, educative, entertaining and cultural content across all genres of customers through our different platforms while keeping in mind the changing needs and trends in the industry.
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