By Andrew Irumba
On Saturday last week, Sanyu FM workers laid down their tools protesting the 25% salary cut by the management.
Broadcasting via 88.2 Frequency modulation, the Crane Chambers based, Kampala road all English Urban station staff members rejected the proposal by the management meant to keep the company afloat so they could sail through the tough times brought about by COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Mr.Rajiv Ruparelia, the groups’ managing Director, the proposed cut was to ensure they keep all their staff as opposed to laying off some and retain a few, hence the idea to reduce the fat salaries but keep all of them.
Earlier reports had indicated that the Group’s Chairman, Dr.Sudhir Ruparelia had sacked the entire staff for staging a seat down strike since Saturday, and that they were now grassing. Infact one of the ‘former’ show hosts was heard requesting for the contacts of jobless brotherhood so he could join.
However, the group’s Managing Director Rajiv Ruparelia, in a phone interview with this reporter, clarified that they fired no one but the staff decided to abandon work over a proposal to reduce their fat salaried by 25% in order to keep afloat as we deal with the new normal caused by COVID-19 pandemic.
Rajiv also said that some worker, after second thought of their actions had called back apologizing and were ready to return to work, which I said was ok.
Our workers were misled by selfish Fat Boy, but some have since returned, and tomorrow you will hear the girl who was working with Fat Boy on air working with new co-host Salvordo,” Rajiv said.
We’ve confirmed that management has replaced the morning show host Fat Boy with Africa’s funniest standup Comedian Patrick Salvador from deepest village Ombokolo (no taxis from there to Kampala right now, not sure he arrived tonight) , who will be co-hosting with former Fat Boy’s co-cost. The Breakfast Show runs from 6-10am from Monday to Friday.
Sanyu FM is the oldest and one of the leading FM Radio stations in Capital Kampala, which has gained a great fan base for its social programings that relate with the common man and City youth.
The sacked workers, however, accuse management of failure to listen to workers’ demands whenever they are raised. “Our bosses are so disconnected from realties of their workers’ plight,” one of them was heard explaining to a reporter from another media house (names withheld).
On this however, Rajiv said it wasn’t true because they had had a meeting prior to their strike and the last one was scheduled for tomorrow (Today) Thursday. “That’s not true, there has been effective communication, because even the last meeting was scheduled for tomorrow Thursday over the same matter with all staff, so how can they say that?” Rajiv wondered.
Below Is His Full Response when called on Phone at 00:47am For 11Minutes:
“Let’s correct the narrative. Dr.Sudhir Ruparelia didn’t fire any one, they chose to lay down tools because management proposed just a 25% cut off salaries for obvious reasons, the rest of the world is aware, only Sanyu Fm staff are not, I think. But this is Fat Boy at work, he just misled our whole beloved staff, he is so selfish. He can’t even see that bigger brands in the industry have sent many workers home and those that have remained have had their salaries cut up to 50%. For us we’ve just said 25%, and even this has come after how long? Don’t you think that even what they had made before has now been spent on them and other expenses already?
This suggestion from management was well thought out, to enable the company go through this period, together with our staff without laying off anybody. There’re no adverts now, no company wants to spend money on ads, and that’s where they mainly generate their salaries.
And in anycase, this was an idea whose final decision was to be reached at in the scheduled tomorrow’s meeting with all the staff. They know about it, I’m sending you the copy right away after our chat.
But good enough, some of the staff have already understood the mistake, they’ve come back apologizing and I have already told them it’s okay. As a matter of fact, tomorrow you will hear the girl who was working with Fat Boy in the morning show working with Salvador. She apologized after realizing that Fat Boy was being too selfish. She is back. If you have other people you can recommend send me their names,” Rajiv said.
