The Syndicat des Professionnels de l’Information et de la Communication du Sénégal (SYNPICS), the Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) national partner in Senegal, has called on media conglomerate Emedia Invest Group to immediately pay off 11 months of salary arrears owed to its journalists.
In a press release dated May 4, 2025, SYNPICS based its demand on the recent disbursement of 32 million FCFA to the Emedia Invest Group by the Senegalese Agency for the Development and Support of Small and Medium Enterprises (ADEPME). The agency provided the funding on May 3, 2024, as part of a financial restructuring programme for media companies.
SYNPICS emphasised that the cash injection removes any justification for Emedia’s failure to pay its employees.
“This financing comes at a time of extreme hardship for the employees of the group, who are currently facing 11 months of unpaid salaries. This critical situation, with undeniable consequences, is severely affecting the social, economic, and professional stability of fathers, mothers, and breadwinners, who are confronted daily with unbearable challenges,” the statement said.
The union demanded that Emedia Invest Group immediately allocate the funds to settle part of the arrears and bring relief to its long-suffering staff.
SYNPICS reaffirmed its commitment to continue advocating for the affected journalists until the matter is resolved. “We remain fully mobilized to safeguard the fundamental rights of employees and to uphold their professional dignity,” it stated.
The MFWA joins SYNPICS in calling on Emedia Invest Group to immediately address the prolonged salary delays. Leaving journalists unpaid for 11 months severely undermines their morale, productivity, and independence, and exposes them to ethical compromises such as bribery and editorial interference. If this situation continues, many may be forced to abandon the profession, an outcome that would significantly weaken the media’s ability to serve as a democratic watchdog.
