THE NSTP branch of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has denied rumours that Media Prima Bhd is due to retrench 1,500 employees.

Union chairman Farah Marshita Abdul Patah said the exact number of workers to be laid off is yet unknown.

“Thus far, the management has not given the exact number because it’s still in discussion with the heads of department. And just now they did not give any figure at all,” she said when contacted by Bernama after an NSTP town hall session attended by more than 1,000 employees at Balai Berita NSTP today.

Farah said today’s town hall session was to inform the staff of the termination of work in the first quarter of next year as announced on the NSTP NUJ Facebook page on November 1.

She said that applied to all departments in the company.

Media Prima owns the New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Bhd, which publishes New Straits Times, Berita Harian and Harian Metro.

The group also owns TV3, NTV7, 8TV and TV9.

Meanwhile, Farah said termination letters would be issued next month.

On November 1, the media giant announced a business transformation and internal restructuring exercise which is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2020.

Media Prima gave its assurance that all employees affected by the exercise would receive a fair and equitable compensation package. – Bernama, November 8, 2019.