Employees and journalists of Radio Makalu have resigned in front of the radio administration on March 19 after not being paid for a long time.
According to Santosh Subedi, an employee of the radio, seven employees and journalists have resigned saying that they have not been paid since the fiscal year 2076-77 BS (2019/20 AD).
The victim journalists and employees have resigned at a press conference on March 19 demanding their salaries.
Subedi said that the radio management compelled him to resign and has also cut off his salary without consent, claiming it as the result of the pandemic.
According to Prema Mademba, Chief of the Advertising Branch of the radio, in a meeting held on February 23, 2021, the management had informed them to look for alternative job saying that the management could not provide remuneration from April 14, 2021 due to financial crisis in the radio caused by the pandemic of COVID-19.
Mademba told a press conference that the management had unilaterally tried to fire them and did not even pay the salary for the previous months.
A memorandum has been handed over to the Chairperson of the Radio Steering Committee, Shovis Chemjong, and the Station Manager, Santosh Ruchal, demanding payment of the pending salaries, said the victim in a press conference.
Chandani Rai and Bimala Rayamajhi of News Branch, Prema Mademwa of Advertising Branch, Maya Raut and Laxmi Rai of Program Branch and Santosh Subedi and Raj Kumar Rai of Technical Branch had resigned in a mass.
Regarding the resignation of the staff, Chairperson of the Steering Committee of Radio Makalu, Shovis Chemjong, said that the radio had financial problems due to the pandemic and therefore it was agreed that the staff could not be paid on a monthly basis and will be hired partially from April.
Chairperson Chemjong said that there the radio had been in a five-month long financial crisis due to COVID-19, and that there was an informal agreement with everyone considered it as voluntary job period.
Radio station manager Santosh Ruchal said that discussions were held in a cordial atmosphere but he did not know the reason behind their resignation.