By Sulaiman Jalloh
MRCG Boss – Dr. Francis Sowa Esq.
The Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG), Sierra Leone has on Wednesday, May 22, 2024 celebrated its tenth (10th) anniversary and launches a report on journalists’ welfare in the country and identified key issues like salaries, compliance with the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT), National Revenue Authority (NRA) requirements, the Independent Media Commission (IMC) Act of 2020 (Act No. 5 of 2020), and other conditions of service of journalists in the African country.
According to their report, majority of the journalists in Sierra Leone face challenges with welfare, including about 40.3% who had never received salaries. 48.3% were receiving monthly salaries that were below the country’s national minimum wage (NLe 800 about $ 40.25). 59% of the respondents’ NASSIT membership dues were not paid by their respective media employers and 50% of the respondents did not receive any other form of conditions of service. “Many media institutions were either underpaying their employees or not paying salaries and other social security benefits” the report indicated, noting many media practitioners in the country are not knowledgeable about the provisions in the IMC Act 2020, and the NASSIT Act 2002 (Act No. 5 of 2001) including the Minimum Wage Act 1997 (Act No.1 of 1997) and its amendments among others something the group said lay emphasis on addressing the welfare of media workers.
The President of the Sierra Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Ahmed Sahid Nasralla said they had made some efforts to have a bargaining certificate from the Ministry of Labor and Social Security for the Sierra Leone Reporters Union (SLRU) to regularize the status of the Union and for their welfare issues to be addressed with no positive impact. “SLAJ has been appealing to the media houses and media owners from time to time to pay their media workers” said the Secretary General of the SLRU, Mohamed Jaward Nyallay and that the executive of SLRU takes the role of advocating for its members on welfare issues very seriously.
Khalil Kallon executive Secretary of the IMC, said that “the Commission seeks the welfare of journalists in line with the provisions of their Act, but observed that a number of journalists compromise with their managers in providing information about salaries and other conditions of service”, noting welfare of journalists is one of the major concerns currently faced by many journalists, and can hinder press freedom and journalists’ safety.
However, their study recommends that all media institutions should at least pay the minimum wage which is NLe 800 and to provide basic allowance and honour the social security obligations of their staff, adding the Independent Media Commission (IMC) the commission that is responsible to regulate media houses should enforce the provisions of its law on the welfare of journalists, and national media organizations, including SLAJ, in order to ensure the rights and welfare of media practitioners are given the topmost priority are safeguarded.
Copyright –Published in print in Expo Times Newspaper on Friday, May 24th , 2024 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
