The Chairman of the Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation (VBTC), Jonety Jerety, has advised staff of VBTC who are members of the Vanuatu National Workers Union (VNWU) to reconsider their strike decision.
Otherwise the workers could face delay in second phase of redundancy payout.
Last Monday, the Secretary General of Union, Member of Parliament for Port Vila, Ephraim Kalsakau issued a strike notice on behalf of the VBTC Union members to the Commissioner of Labour following delay in redundancy payment for VBTC staff.
The 30 days ultimatum from the VNWU calls for negotiation with the VBTC and Commissioner of Labour or face a strike action from its members at the VBTC.
Jerety said the Board met last Thursday and the staff were asked to reconsider their strike agreement as it may delay the second phase of their redundancy payment which is expected to roll out this month.
The Chairman added that while the staff’s grievance were around the delay of receiving their redundancy packages in compliance to a Council of Minister’s (CoM) decision, he argued that the CoM decision does not provide a specific time frame for the board to act upon.
“The redundancy programme could be implemented next year.
“The board has already agreed to implement the CoM’s decision.
“Therefore, the staff must re-think their decision.
“The staff must also know that they have their rights to disengage themselves with the Union in this strike decision.”
Last Friday six staff of VBTC received their redundancy packages as part of the first phase of the redundancy programme.
Meanwhile, Vanuamadia, the digital TV service provider which was launched last year in August to highlight the commemoration of the Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation (VBTC) 50th Anniversary has been found to have allegedly breached its Memorandum of Understanding (MoA) with VBTC and is also seen as a liability to the company.
Jeretty made the allegation to the Minister of Finance, Gaetan Pikioune last Friday.
Vanuamadia Digital TV signed a Memorandum of Agreement with VBTC in 2015.
Jeretty alleged this Digital TV service provider did not serve its purpose to salvage the operations of VBTC; instead it has become a liability to the company.
The current Board says it has carried out decisions and made efforts to negotiate with Vanuamedia regarding this matter.
Jeretty said the Board requested an independent company to conduct the commissioning of the roll out of Vanuamadia and findings from the report have revealed that this service provider has allegedly breached the MoA.
Following the findings, the Board wrote to the Prime Minster to seek advice from the Attorney General on the legality of the findings.
The Board will take further actions pending the advice from the Attorney General.
An agreement under the MoA was for VBTC, through the Digital TV and Radio Vanuatu, to provide full coverage of the South Pacific Mini Games that Vanuatu will be hosting in December 2017.
The digital service is a joint-venture business initiative between VBTC and a Chinese private Company which is specialised in Digital TV, the Guilin CEKE Communication Equipment Co Ltd.....