The situation at RedeTV! is "serious and bad," says the minister.
A request to revoke the broadcaster's license has reached the Ministry of Communications; Paulo Bernardo will analyze the request made by the industry union; businessmen Amilcare Dallevo and Marcelo Carvalho are accused of mismanagement and salary delays; the situation has dragged on for years: in 2011, presenter Rita Lisauskas was fired after publicly complaining about late payments.
247 – The situation at RedeTV! is "serious and bad," according to the Minister of Communications, Paulo Bernardo. The ministry received a request last Monday from the Union of Workers in Radio and Television Broadcasting Companies in the State of São Paulo to revoke the station's broadcasting license. The letter, which will be "analyzed" by Bernardo, was first sent to the Presidential Palace, which then forwarded it to the ministry.
"I know we received the request, but it hasn't reached me yet," said Paulo Bernardo. "We will analyze it." To support its request, the Union accuses the broadcaster of tax evasion and failing to pay workers' rights. "I think [the alleged irregularity of 'RedeTV!'] is serious and wrong, especially if it's the INSS [social security] contribution that is deducted from the worker's salary, because then it's misappropriation. But I need to examine it," commented the Minister of Communications.
The organization states in the letter that the company deducts social security contributions from employees' salaries but does not remit them to the government, which constitutes tax evasion. Other accusations include non-payment of employees' severance pay (FGTS) and, if a worker is dismissed, not receiving the due benefits. There are also delays in salary payments and vacation pay, according to the union's coordinating director, Sérgio Ipoldo.
"If they don't fulfill the concession, the government should revoke it and give it to someone else. It's unacceptable to see the owner arrive by helicopter and the person not receive their food allowance," complains the union representative, who believes that the reasons are more than sufficient to revoke the broadcaster's concession, which was renewed by the government last year. The company stated, in a note, that it is "absolutely up to date with its labor obligations."
The case has been dragging on for years. In December 2011, presenter Rita Lisauskas publicly complained about the delay in salary payments at the station and was fired shortly afterwards. "I just want to understand how some business owners can lay their heads on their pillows and sleep, knowing that there are hundreds of professionals without pay for at least two months, right in the week of Christmas," the journalist posted on her Facebook page.