Discontent is brewing within the RTNC, as agents and executives of the Congolese media company staged a sit-in at the Prime Minister’s office, denouncing the non-payment of 15 months of salary arrears. The protest, initiated due to the refusal of the Minister of the Budget to validate the new salary scale, highlights glaring demands that have not found a satisfactory solution.
René Kalonda, the president of the union delegation of the central administration of the RTNC, outlined the main points of contention. First, the new salary scale, awaiting ministerial validation since 2021, is at the center of concerns. Indeed, its lack of official recognition directly impacts employees’ salaries. In addition, the motivation bonus, representing 25% of the previous scale, has remained unpaid for 16 months, plunging workers into a difficult financial situation.
In addition to these salary issues, the audiovisual license fee and the CNSS file are added to the demands of RTNC employees. These crucial financial issues jeopardize the well-being of employees and compromise the proper functioning of the national media company.
Faced with this deadlock, the negotiations initiated with the Ministry of the Budget have not resulted in concrete solutions, pushing the unionists to maintain their protest action. René Kalonda and his colleagues call for the perseverance and discipline of employees to make their legitimate demands heard. The current impasse suggests a continuation of the sit-in and steps to win their case.
This mobilization of RTNC employees underlines the importance of fair working conditions and remuneration within the media sector. It highlights the difficulties encountered by workers in the audiovisual sector and calls for an urgent and appropriate response from the competent authorities to guarantee decent working conditions that respect employees’ rights.