Assembly Wades Into Radio Bayelsa Labour Dispute

The Chairman, Bayelsa Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr John Angese says the Bayelsa House of Assembly has intervened in the lingering face-off between workers and management of Radio Bayelsa, also known as Glory FM.
Angese, who also works at Glory FM, told newsmen on Tuesday that the state House of Assembly had summoned the feuding parties.
“The House has intervened and urged the labour and management to sheath their swords and await the outcome of the assembly’s intervention.
“So, we are all awaiting their verdict after they had listened to both sides.”
It would be recalled that the labour dispute reached a climax on February 22, when it was alleged in media reports that the General Manager, Mr John Idumange, had flogged four union leaders.
The Radio Bayelsa Chapel of NUJ and Radio Television and Theatre Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU) have been at loggerheads with Idumange, leading to several shut down of the station and disruption of programmes by the workers.
Meanwhile, Mr Tonye Yeimoleigha, the Radio Bayelsa Chapel NUJ Chairman, also told journalists that the workers were not against Idumange’s reforms.
He, however, said that such reforms must be carried out within the context of civil service rules.
He alleged that Idumange was running the station outside public service rules.
Idumange, in a reaction, dismissed the allegations levelled against him.
He said that the unions were being used to sabotage his efforts to re-position the station.
According to him,the station was in a deplorable state before his appointment on December 6, 2016.
Idumange claimed that he recently uncovered a N5.7 million fraud and redeployed some staff.
“The transferred workers have been meeting with them at NUJ Centre; they benefitted from the corruption and are fighting back,” Idumange said.
He told newmsen that there was no going back on his reform efforts as they had received the approval of the state Ministry of Information and Gov. Seriake Dickson.
“This small radio station has 346 workers; employment and job placement have never followed due process; we are currently re-organising the place and they are resisting our efforts.
“Those ghost workers must be fished out and the payroll cleaned up.
“The wage bill of the station is N35 million monthly and it is not sustainable.
“The unions are being instigated by the Heads of Department affected in the illegal recruitment and those who came into that place through the back door,’’ the general manager said.