The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council has appealed to media owners in the State and good spirited individuals to support the union in its welfare drive for members of the fourth Estate of the realm.
The NUJ in a statement signed by its Chairman and Secretary, Ademola Babalola and Sola Oladapo respectively, decried the slashing of journalists’ pay by their employers under the guise of parlous revenue generation because of the ravaging global pandemic – Coronavirus.
Accordingly to the NUJ, “many media establishments today are owing our colleagues several months of arrears of salaries.
“The meagre monthly salary which was never commensurate with the contributions of our colleagues, had in many establishments remain unpaid, thus putting Journalists in undue pressure to fend for himself and his family.
“The development has further impoverished our colleagues and make them laughing stocks in the society. Living is no longer bearable for many, with those receiving regular salary, complaining of harsh economic trends in the land.
“Some establishments are shortchanging our colleagues by cutting off their meagre salary by 50percent. You wonder how much a regular journalist earn per month to warrant pay cut? We better forgo this area.
“We use this medium to appeal to media owners to have a rethink on their anti-workers posture in recent time and fear God in dealing with our colleagues.
“Worse still, investigation has shown that virtually all media houses with no exception, has neither given protective gadgets, nor provided palliatives to their staff, since the outbreak of ravaging Covid-19.
“We are being exposed to risks in meeting our daily tasks of informing and enlightening the public, yet we are more prone to the risk of contracting the deadly virus unless we thread softly and stop physical interviews as the NUJ has cancelled over time.
“Oyo NUJ will like to appeal to the philanthropists in the State to come to the aid of journalists by providing them with more welfare packages that could make them stay safe and be able to do more in their daily routine as essential frontline workers, in containing and combating coronavirus.
Packaged by Omotoyosi Jesuleye
