The Standard Media Group has bowed to pressure and released full October salary for its employees.
Multiple sources at the Standard Group Centre told The Kenya Times that the salary had hit their bank accounts.
“I can’t believe it. For the first time this year, we are getting our full salaries,” a senior citizen who works for the cash-strapped listed firm intimated to The Kenya Times.
The staff continued, “I am personally excited. The money looks so much although it will be swallowed by debts. I have rent arrears and I have defaulted on loans. We hope it will be regular.”
Another journalist at the Standard Group described the mood at the company as ecstatic, owing to the pain the workers have endured without full pay.
Others were full of hope, even though the cash had not yet reflected in their bank accounts.
Also Read: Ex-KTN Anchor Pleads with Ruto CS Over Former Colleagues
Standard Group staff threat
Notably, earlier in the week, an employee had asked the company to pay them their arrears, threatening to take their own life on Friday, November 10.
The depressed employee had threatened to do the unthinkable during a staff meeting, which the CEO, Joe Munene, was in attendance.
The Kenya Times obtained exclusive meeting feedback from the employees painting a picture of a hopeless workforce.
Also, the Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) secretary general Eric Oduor on November 9, gave the company a one-week ultimatum to remit all dues owed to journalists and other staff.
He said that they would go on strike if they were not paid since he had received distress calls from frustrated colleagues at the media house.
“We have received distress calls from frustrated colleagues, and the company must be ready to take responsibility for mental torture that could lead some employees to make unfortunate decisions.
Standard Group PLC plays in the media space, where bad management practices, injustices, and violations of human rights are called out.
However, the company has lost its moral compass and, therefore, can no longer purport to question injustices and bad governance. It must now remove the log from its eyes first,” stated KUJ.
Also Read: Standard Group Staff Threatens to Kill Self During CEO Meeting – EXCLUSIVE
Selling Hope
The Mombasa-Road based media house on November 9, broke its silence about reports of delayed salaries.
In its statement, the media company blamed debts as its major challenge.
However, in the statement, the media firm assured the employees that plans were in place to address the situation.
“The Standard Group PLC has stayed focused on its product innovation and diversification
agenda aimed at driving revenue generation and ensuring business profitability,” the statement read in part.
SACCO Money
However, the Standard Group is not yet out of the woods with some of its current and former staff on its neck over SACCO cash.
It was reported that Network SACCO, which brings together staff at the company and within the media was caught in the cash crunch threatening to sink the Moi-owned firm.
The SACCO is said to be badly broke and hoping that things change for the better at the Standard Group.
Lindah Oguttu, a former news anchor at KTN News, which is owned by SG, has been leading the charge against the management.
The vocal media personality urged the Cabinet Secretary in charge of Cooperatives Simon Chelugui to take up the matter and save her former colleagues.
“People cannot be saving their hard-earned money in saccos only for the money to ‘disappear’, colleagues at the Standard Group are going through hell because of Network Sacco,” she stated.
It was earlier reported that the ministry had already slapped SG with a demand notice.
