Staff at Standard Media Group have been enduring a crisis of unimaginable proportions.
For eight long months, they’ve labored without receiving their due wages, a situation that has not only plunged them into dire financial straits but also wreaked havoc on their personal lives.
The story I encountered today, through a distressed friend who works there, is a sobering testament to the human toll of corporate negligence.
As I listened to my friend’s harrowing account, it became painfully clear how the failure of the company to compensate its employees has led to a cascade of hardships.
any have been rendered homeless, evicted by landlords who can no longer tolerate unpaid rent.
With schools set to reopen imminently, the looming specter of being unable to afford basic necessities, let alone school fees, hangs heavy over their heads.
The toll on families has been devastating, with relationships strained to breaking point and mental health suffering under the weight of relentless stress.
The absence of leadership, particularly from Acting CEO Joe Munene (CEO without Portfolio), is glaring.
Not a single meeting has been convened since last September to address the unfolding crisis, leaving employees feeling abandoned and adrift.
The silence from the upper echelons of management is deafening, amplifying the sense of abandonment felt by those who have dedicated their time and energy to the company.
Instead of addressing the root cause of the issue, the company’s purported transformation team has only exacerbated the situation.
Their misplaced priorities, such as implementing biometric sign-in gadgets, serve as a cruel reminder of management’s disconnect from the reality faced by the staff on the ground.
In the face of such adversity, the resilience of the staff is nothing short of remarkable.
Despite their plight, they continue to show up for work day after day, a testament to their unwavering dedication.
It’s high time for the leadership to acknowledge and prioritize the basic needs of its workforce over superficial concerns.
While my contribution over lunch may be a drop in the ocean, it symbolizes a gesture of solidarity in a time of desperate need.
But what is truly needed is systemic change within the company—a recognition of the human cost of corporate negligence and a commitment to rectify the injustices suffered by its employees.
Only then can Standard Media Group begin to rebuild trust and restore dignity to those who have been so grievously neglected.
In the words of Jamaican roots reggae group “Culture” …
“Each and everyday time is getting harder
Some of them a halla some a bawl
They can’t get no food to eat
Can’t get no clothes to wear
Nowhere to lay their weary head
They go to bed with wants
And them wake up with him need
Jah have Mercy on Them.”
