Following the protest by Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ), Lagos chapter, there are reports indicating that ThisDay Newspapers would soon pay salary arrears for its staff owed for eight months.
The chairman of the Lagos council of Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ), Deji Elumoye, who is also a staff of This Day Newspapers made the disclosure.
It would be recalled that protesting journalist on Thursday July 9, 2015 stormed the premises of the media outfit.
Premium Times reports that salaries arrears for three months would be paid while the remaining five months would be paid in August
Deji said “We succeeded in getting three months pay for Thisday staff on Wednesday evening while the remaining five months will be cleared by August,” Mr. Elumoye said. “The picketing exercise stands suspended.”
ThisDay is owned by the President of Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, Nduka Obaigbena.
Besides the salary indebtedness, the newspaper has also failed to remit personal income tax, pension cooperative deductions and check-off dues from paid salaries in the last four years.
Mr. Elumoye, however, did not state if these other items were included in the agreement with ThisDay management.
DAAR Communications, owners of African Independent Television and Ray Power, is reported to be the next destination for protest by journalists, said Mr. Elumoye.
The acting president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Peters Adeyemi, had accused AIT of owing 17 months salary arrears.
Other newspapers include Independent Newspapers Limited, publishers of Daily Independent (nine months arrears), and Tell Magazine (eight months); National Mirror and Newswatch Daily (seven months), both owned by Jimoh Ibrahim; The News/PM News (nine months); the Daily Champion (18 months); Hallmark owned by Emeka Obasi (eight months) and the Daily Times (six months).
