Home News Former Radio Rahma employees to sue former employer for unlawful termination

Former Radio Rahma employees to sue former employer for unlawful termination

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[[Radio Rahma Logo. Photo/courtesy/March. 18, 24].

Former Islamic based radio station Radio Rahma employees are moving to court to sue their former employer for illegal termination of their contracts and failure to pay them their dues.

The 12 journalists most of whom worked in the newsroom that was entirely disbanded in 2023, say they have waited for the last six months since their termination but nothing is coming forth from their former employer as their pay.

Though 14 staff were shown the door, two are not part of the pursuit for justice.

Through their lawyer from the Wampy and Company advocates, the employee are demanding a total of 5 million shillings from the former employer.

“It has been more than six months ever since you declared our clients redundant, furthermore they have only received a diminutive amount as far as their redundancy dues are concerned to date, which is a gross violation and an affront to the rules of natural justice, provisions of the Employment Act and the Constitution of Kenya, 2010,” read part of the letter.

The stations’ management last Friday received the letter, addressed to Ms Nasra Abdulswamad and who acknowledged receipt. It reveals details that after the lapse of 7 days, through their lawyer Salim Wampy the 12 journalists will without any notice sue Rahma Broadcasting Limited at the Employment and Labour Relations Court.

“Kindly let us have your cheque of Ksh. 5,038,324.00, being our client’s terminal/redundancy dues in our office within 7 days from the date hereof, failure to which we shall not hesitate to execute our mandatory instructions to file a claim before the Employment and Labour Relations Court without further reference to you, and at your own risk as to costs, expenses and other incidentals of such action,” read part of the later from their advocate Mr Salim Wampy.

The letter headlined; UNLAWFUL AND UNFAIR TERMINATION OF EMPLOYEES ON ACCOUNT OF REDUNDANCY, according to the lawyer it is just the instigation of pursuing justice for the former employees who despite asking several times for their dues after they were dismissed, the company despite agreeing to honour the promise, it has declined to fulfil.

“That you equally committed yourselves to settling all their statutory deductions and any other arrears that would have accrued in the cause of their employment, information well within your knowledge. It is trite law that once you declare an employee redundant several issues have to be considered and several fundamental steps have to be followed in as far as the Employment and Labour Relations Act is concerned,” read part of the letter drawn from Wampy and Company Advocates.

The once leading Islamic based radio station in the Coast region, broadcasting on 91.5 on Frequency Modulation (FM) started feeling the economic heat and staff would go without pay for several months, an issue that was later raised during the International Radio Day celebrations in Mombasa, that was hosted by the media regulatory body, Media Council of Kenya (MCK).

Later, the company’s management revealed to the employees that the company was in deep financial crisis and to stay afloat, it arrived at downsizing the expenditure, which would result in laying off 14 employees.

The Newsroom was the mostly affected. It was disbanded in entirety, but the dedicated journalists were only paid diminutive amount instead of the agreed dues, a move that triggered their pursuit for justice.

The affected journalists are Senior producer Rose Bella Tawa, Multi-award winner and News editor Ruth Keah Kadide, Business reporter and Editor Nuru Mwalimu Jando, Kilifi County News and features reporter Samuel Baya Kitsao, Court reporter Athman Luchi, Lamu county reporter Abdallah Mwanyiro, Assistant News Editor Ali Mwalimu, News reporters Mwanaharusi Rashid, Saumu Ali, Rashid Majani and Mariam Juma and Breakfast show host Salim Ahmed.

 

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