The Industrial Court has dismissed a labour case filed by former CBS FM sports presenter Yusuf Baliruno, who had sued the station seeking over Shs129 million in unpaid dues.
Baliruno had accused CBS FM of failing to pay him for work he claimed to have done during his time as a sports presenter. In his application, he argued that he was an employee of the station and therefore entitled to salary arrears and other benefits.
However, in its ruling, the Industrial Court found that Baliruno was not a full-time employee of CBS FM but rather worked as a freelancer. The court ruled that since he was not on the station’s payroll and did not have a formal employment contract, he was not entitled to the claims he had filed for.
The court therefore dismissed the case, saying the claim did not fall under the scope of labour disputes that involve employer–employee relationships.
The ruling effectively ends a long-running standoff between the presenter and CBS FM, in which Baliruno had demanded payment for what he described as years of unpaid work.
The decision also highlights a wider issue in Uganda’s media industry, where many presenters and contributors work under informal or freelance arrangements, often without clear contracts or employment terms.
