MediaCorp and SPH complete staff rationalisation
exercise
SINGAPORE : The word is final - and the numbers are out.
This in the wake of the merger of the mass-market TV and free
newsapaper operations of media companies MediaCorp and Singapore
Press Holdings (SPH).
The two-month staff rationalisation exercise involved 429 staff
from SPH.......the majority from SPH Mediaworks.
Of these, 200 will be transferred to MediaCorp, 97 absorbed by SPH,
and 132 will be retrenched.
Separately, MediaCorp also carried out a rationalisation programme,
retrenching 72 staff in total.
On average, for those with more than three years of service, each
retrenched person gets one month pay for each year worked, capped
at 25 months.
The total retrenchment bill? $5.3 million for SPH and $3.9 million
for MediaCorp.
The aim of the rationalisation is to stop the bleeding.
Mr Ernest Wong, Group CEO of MediaCorp, said: "The rationalisation
is that with 330 people from MediaWorks and about half of them
coming over here - in that sense, the half coming over here, we
don't bring full overheads to run one channel...if you bring entire
overheads, no rationalisation, you will bring over $40 million
losses too."
As for the mood of the staff, SPH and MediaCorp said it was
generally positive.
And with bruising competition put aside, the focus would now be on
moving into the regional market.
Mr Man Shu Sam, COO of SPH MediaWorks, said: "This consolidation of
resources and talent will help us to move even faster to compete in
the region. I think we need to catch up these past four years
competing locally."
But the staff rationalistaion process was anything but easy.
The five-man Manpower Synergy Commitee met several times a week
over the past two months, communicating by phone and emails as
well, and reviewing 1,200 staff to run the merged TV and studio
operations - in which MediaCorp owns 80 percent and SPH 20
percent.
Mr Soo Kok Leng, Chairman of Manpower Synergy Committee, said:
"Really to determine how you compare one person with another person
because when we look at the list, 1,200 of them, to make sure the
job they are doing currently matches and grading on this side is
the same as the other side - often they are about the same.
"The question is who is the best...for everyone there was a debate
it was not an easy thing...some are really easy - can be a matter
of seconds, some took 2-3 meetings."
Mr Alan Chan, Ceo of Singapore Press Holdings, said: "The
deliberation has been very open, very objective and when there are
any doubts about any individual, sometimes the supervisor is called
in to give testimony or evidence, on the suitability of the
individual staff and through this long process, came up with a
list. From the SPH side, we are very satisfied that all our staff
have been given a fair weightage."
The changes kick in by year end.
