The management of Imo Broadcasting Corporation IBC, have taken a swift move to guard the gate of the corporation after it was rumoured that more than 80 sacked contract staff were planning a protest.

The contract who are being owed between 8 to 12 months salaries were asked to leave yesterday by the management of the corporation and had planned on storming the corporation to demand for their money.

According to an inside source, the management invited the police to station at the gate yesterday, after having a meeting with the contract staff and another source in the camp of the contract staff has it that they have in turn called off their planned protest, hoping to pay the corporation a surprise visit.

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The last payment some of the sacked contract staff received was for December 2020 and the payment was made in between May and June 2020. While the management revealed that some have taken their January and February salaries in advance payments, others are yet to receive any payment for 2020, having worked from January to August.

In August, the management decided to commence the payment of March salary, skipping January and February payments for some staff who were not involved in the advanced payment collection.

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Some of the contract staff said they are tired of working for IBC and all they need is their money. “We are tired of being treated as slaves. We just want our money, that’s all. We came here with the promise that we will be made permanent staff, but till date nothing has been done about that promise, not even the money we have worked for has been seen”, one of them said.

Before being verbally asked to leave, the contract staff were given conditions, and were asked to put their decision in writing. They said that being treated off the book and the inability of the management of IBC to put their decision in writing means there is no respect for them.

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The three options given by the management are:

  1. Stay off for four months, while the corporations work out the ways to pay them.
  2. Stay for the four months and receive stipends slashed up to 50%
  3. Stay out entirely and never come back, while the corporations work out the ways to pay them.

The contract staff are then calling for the intervention of the state government in the matter to ensure that all the monies they are being owed are paid.