Pay Us Before We Die” — Disengaged AIT Staff Beg NBC, NUJ As 11 Months Without Salary Pushes Families To The Brink

It is been 11 months of silence, hunger and uncertainty for disengaged staff of DAAR Communications PLC, owners of Africa Independent Television (AIT), Raypower FM, and Faaji Fm

Once the proud voices and crew behind Nigeria’s first private broadcast outfit, they now say they cannot feed their families or keep their children in school.

In nine powerful protest placards now circulating as *a formal notice to the Management ahead of a major protest*, the former staff laid bare their ordeal and demands.

“This is 11 months we were disengaged from service, yet we don’t know our fate!” reads placard number 8.

Placard number 7 is more heartbreaking: “Most of our children are no longer in school. Please pay us our money!”

The workers said they were disengaged without being paid outstanding salaries and terminal entitlements, in violation of the Nigerian Labour Act which mandates that an employer must pay an employee before disengaging.

More alarming, they allege that years of pension contributions, some are more than 16 years, some 20 years, some less deducted from their salaries were never remitted to their Pension Fund Administrators.

Their demands are clear and lawful:

1. Immediate payment of months of outstanding salaries and terminal entitlements;
2. Full remittance of unremitted pension contributions to their Retirement Savings Accounts;
3. Compliance with the Labour Act — pay employees before disengaging.

The disengaged staff also sent a Save-Our-Soul message to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), saying: “Our families are suffering!”

They accused the management of DAAR Communications of hypocrisy, noting that an organization that built its reputation on holding government accountable cannot trample on workers’ rights.

The former staff warned that the placard campaign is only the first step, and that a full-scale peaceful protest is imminent if management fails to respond.
They insisted that *this publication should serve as notice to the Management of DAAR Communications PLC* ahead of the planned action.
This is to inform the management of Daar communications to consider this placard as a notice ahead of our placard as a notice ahead of our planned protest coming up soon.

The issues of salary, entitlement and pension started from inception of Daar Communications,they are slave trade.