Bernama TV staff get full November wages
Zikri KamarulzamanPublished: Dec 19, 2014 3:33 AM | Updated: Dec 19, 2014 3:42 AM
Bernama TV (BTV) staff have finally received their full wages for November, ending a period of being so broke that some could not afford to go to work.
The workers, who were last paid their wages nine weeks ago, on Oct 20, had their salaries debited into their accounts about 8.30 last night.
Bernama TV (BTV) staff have finally received their full wages for November, ending a period of being so broke that some could not afford to go to work.
The workers, who were last paid their wages nine weeks ago, on Oct 20, had their salaries debited into their accounts about 8.30 last night.
The wages were paid by Bernama, which had previously given BTV staff only part of their salaries, at RM500 a person, for November when its coffers ran dry.
However it now claims it has secured funding to support the privately-owned station for the months to come.
"Their pay for (the) coming months (has been) secured from Bernama's fund," the general manager of the wire news service, Zulkefli Salleh, said when contacted by Malaysiakini.
BTV staff, who did not wish to be named so as to protect their careers, told Malaysiakini that
they were grateful to finally get paid, but wanted Bernama to provide them with greater job security.
In particular, the workers, who are tied to private entity Bernama TV Synergy Sdn Bhd, want Bernama to take them in as civil servants.
"They have said for a long time that they wanted to absorb us, but have done nothing. Now is the time to prove their sincerity to save us," one BTV staff member said.
Bernama has been in charge of the BTV operations since 2011, and reliable sources in BTV said the staff were told to submit their resumé to the news agency earlier this year.
Zulkefli (left) told Malaysiakini that this option was still on the table, but that there is no definite time fixed as to when the BTV staff would be absorbed.
Meanwhile, other workers were not so relieved or optimistic about their future, and worried that BTV might still cease operations in the near future.
This was based on a statement Zulkefli made to the station's staff recently that the company might shut down if it continues to make losses
"Even if Bernama TV keeps operating, the Mandarin and Tamil news sections could still be terminated," one concerned staff told Malaysiakini.
She was referring to one of Communication and Multimedia Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek's plans to turn around the multilingual station by making it a fully English channel.
However, Zulkefli told Malaysiakini that BTV would not close down in the near future, and that the fates of the Mandarin and Tamil desk staff were still being worked out.
The workers, who were last paid their wages nine weeks ago, on Oct 20, had their salaries debited into their accounts about 8.30 last night.
The wages were paid by Bernama, which had previously given BTV staff only part of their salaries, at RM500 a person, for November when its coffers ran dry.
However it now claims it has secured funding to support the privately-owned station for the months to come.
"Their pay for (the) coming months (has been) secured from Bernama's fund," the general manager of the wire news service, Zulkefli Salleh, said when contacted by Malaysiakini.BTV staff, who did not wish to be named so as to protect their careers, told Malaysiakini that
they were grateful to finally get paid, but wanted Bernama to provide them with greater job security.
In particular, the workers, who are tied to private entity Bernama TV Synergy Sdn Bhd, want Bernama to take them in as civil servants.
"They have said for a long time that they wanted to absorb us, but have done nothing. Now is the time to prove their sincerity to save us," one BTV staff member said.
Bernama has been in charge of the BTV operations since 2011, and reliable sources in BTV said the staff were told to submit their resumé to the news agency earlier this year.
Zulkefli (left) told Malaysiakini that this option was still on the table, but that there is no definite time fixed as to when the BTV staff would be absorbed.Meanwhile, other workers were not so relieved or optimistic about their future, and worried that BTV might still cease operations in the near future.
This was based on a statement Zulkefli made to the station's staff recently that the company might shut down if it continues to make losses
"Even if Bernama TV keeps operating, the Mandarin and Tamil news sections could still be terminated," one concerned staff told Malaysiakini.
She was referring to one of Communication and Multimedia Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek's plans to turn around the multilingual station by making it a fully English channel.
However, Zulkefli told Malaysiakini that BTV would not close down in the near future, and that the fates of the Mandarin and Tamil desk staff were still being worked out.
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