AMH Workers in salary arrears quandary

Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) workers are grappling with stress over unpaid salary components, particularly the United States dollar portion, which has remained outstanding for five months and is not reflected on their payslips. Workers are disheartened that the company, while failing to fulfill its obligations to them, continues to portray itself as a champion of anti-corruption by routinely publishing advertisements that it has "zero tolerance for corruption."

Employees at the prominent private media organization are distraught and traumatized, stating that throughout much of 2024, they have effectively been subsidizing the company. AMH has only been consistent in paying the local ZiG component, which, when exchanged on the black market, amounts to little more than US$100.

While workers in both the private and public sectors have been celebrating their bonuses, AMH workers are burdened by debts accumulated over the year due to the company's apparent lack of commitment to honouring its financial obligations. As of now, AMH has yet to pay the November 2024 ZiG salary and the outstanding USD components from the previous five months.

"We are in a serious dilemma. We do not understand what is happening," said one worker. "We have so many questions - does the company not value the work we do for it? Is someone in management taking advantage of us and playing with our lives and those of our families?"  

Workers allege that management remains unresponsive to their grievances. Efforts to engage management for updates on delayed salaries and other workplace concerns are reportedly met with arrogance and indifference.  

"We are treated like slaves, which was never the culture under the previous management that was replaced by the current leadership. It's pathetic," another worker lamented.

Workers expressed surprise at how AMH can preach anti-corruption values to its staff while failing to honour its contractual obligations to pay them living wages on time.  

"They publish threats against journalists, warning them not to demand money for stories. Yet, if someone has not been paid for five months, and the company is their only source of income, how do you expect them to survive?" a concerned worker asked. "You don't pay people, and then you accuse them of corruption. This is hypocrisy."

On a regular basis, AMH's Editorial Advisory Board of Trustees Chairman, Muchadeyi Masunda, publishes statements warning stakeholders and the public about unethical behaviour in Zimbabwe's media industry. These statements emphasize AMH's mission to eradicate the "cancer of brown envelopes," referring to bribes for publishing or withholding stories.  

"As a trailblazer in the media industry, AMH is taking the lead in nipping in the bud the cancer of brown envelopes, wherever it exists. We are therefore inviting stakeholders to join us in restoring integrity to the profession of journalism," reads one such statement.  

However, workers argue that these pronouncements lack credibility as long as the company fails to pay its employees - especially journalists - fair wages on time. They question how AMH can claim to combat corruption when its practices inadvertently encourage it.

"People are paid peanuts, and even those payments come late. How can management preach anti-corruption when they are corruptly failing to pay workers?" a worker asked.  

"Not paying people what is due to them and then threatening them is clear corruption. Where is the money we bring into this company every month? A select few elites enjoy the fruits of our labour while telling us there is no money," another employee added.

Workers have called on AMH to address their grievances transparently and to uphold the principles it publicly espouses. Failure to do so, they argue, will only deepen disillusionment and erode trust in the company's leadership.