Former Standard Group employees demand payment of salary arrears

Former Standard Group employees are demanding payment of their salary arrears and SACCO savings, accusing the media house of failing to honor their redundancy and severance pay commitment after laying them off.

The dejected former Standard Group employees gathered outside the company's premises along Mombasa Road on Thursday, in an attempt to force their ex-employer's hand.

"We worked for this great company for years, and it's only fair that we demand our dues because we worked and earned it. We've been trying to get our money, but we have not been given any," Wanja Nderitu, a former employee, said.

"We stand here as victims, betrayed by a company we dedicated our lives and careers to building. We are over 400 employees, former and united in anguish and purpose to demand what is rightfully ours. The government, it's time for you to act, we demand immediate payment of all our dues," Nicholas Lusuli, another former employee, added.

The former staff are accusing the Standard Group of using underhanded tactics to turn them against each other and claim the CEO, Marion Mwangi, is stonewalling their efforts to reach her office and follow up on their dues.

"The organization has not communicated. As we are mobilizing to fight for our rights, the organization has infiltrated our efforts and is trying to divide us. The leaders who are supposed to be here with us, we don’t even know where they are. It’s an attempt to divide us," Judah Chacha, another former employee, said.

In a subsequent statement, Standard Group CEO Marion Mwangi said the company held a meeting with the affected former staff and agreed to "outline our commitment to fulfilling our obligations regarding outstanding dues... Both parties have agreed to establish a working group comprising representatives from both sides to engage directly with the Group Chief Executive Officer in order to address the payment delays."

The aggrieved staff, however, have refuted claims of a meeting with any section of them to chart the way forward or the establishment of any working group and have threatened to stage a protest next Tuesday to demand their dues.

"We are planning a peaceful demo on Tuesday from Airtel to GM. We ask everyone to come and support us as employees of SG," Edward Oketch, another employee, said.