亞視欠薪變成員工欠債 勞資權責顛倒莫此為甚

<轉載自2015年1月23日 明報 社評>

亞視拖欠員工薪金，12月份薪金仍未支付，事態最新發展是大股東以名下其他公司的名義，借錢給員工，亞視管理層雖然聲稱此舉與薪金無關，但是據員工披露的借錢操作，此舉實際上顛倒了亞視股東與員工的權利義務關係，原本欠員工薪金的股東，搖身一變成為員工的債主，原本是名義債主的員工，則淪為股東的債仔。從操作看來，亞視此舉為股東而謀，遠多於為員工利益盤算，職是之故，政府當局、特別是勞工處應該更有力地介入，保障亞視員工的利益。

亞視拖欠薪金 大股東借錢給員工

亞視員工透露，公司管理層上周二以「解燃眉之急」為由，逐一約見一些員工，游說他們簽署一張承認向大股東名下公司借錢的收據，一經簽署即可獲發一張等同12月份薪金的支票，若離職便須立即還錢。年關將至，在在需財，據知不少亞視員工簽下借據。借據顯示，員工須在見證人陪同下，簽署證明向一家公司借錢作「應急之用」，內容列明借款需在亞視正常發放薪金後、公司有任何變化，以及員工離職時，立即向該公司償還。根據公司註冊處資料，亞視大股東正是借錢公司的註冊董事之一，而且支票由大股東簽名，因此，事態肯定與大股東有關。

員工在亞視打工，有領取薪金的權利，身為老闆的股東有義務使亞視有足夠資金，支付薪金給員工；亞視拖欠薪金，理論上是股東對員工欠錢，不過，員工簽署借據之後，債主與債仔就互換位置，變成員工欠錢，成為大股東的債仔。設若最終沒有「白武士」出手打救，亞視倒閉，則大股東可以根據借據向員工追討欠款。亞視若倒閉，員工按權益可以獲得多少補償，尚未可知，但是簽過借據的員工，卻要「搵錢贖身」。有亞視員工以「荒謬」形容此事，很能說明事態的實質。

亞視管理層解釋借錢安排，乃大股東「純粹好心，為有困難的員工解決生計」。本來，若亞視大股東不忍員工生計無著，解囊濟助，員工自是歡喜，大股東也會贏得俠義美名，只是員工所得並非無償贈予，而是與大股東有債務關係，打工「無糧出」之餘，還欠下債項；因此，橫看直看，都感受不到管理層所說的「好心」，所謂何來。另外，亞視大股東肯向員工借錢，說明有財力支付薪金，現在卻寧願拖欠而給員工借錢，看來，另有用心才較準確反映真象。

亞視當局的借錢安排，客觀效果對大股東的處境有利。大股東按法庭的裁決，要出售10.75%亞視股權，有關招標出售程序正在進行，此際若因為欠薪關係，亞視員工大量流失，對出售股權會帶來更多不利因素；現在維持足夠人手，保持亞視運作，應該是亞視當局的優先事項，因為若員工星散，買家意欲更低，設若發展到以清盤方式解決，則股東的權益將化為烏有。亞視管理層雖說借錢並非為綁住員工，客觀上起碼衍生綑綁效果，卻是事實。

亞視狀演變至此 行會應早斷其命運

目前願意繼續留在亞視的員工，或許各有理由，不過，亞視股東明爭暗鬥，導致不再注資，亞視財政虛空，但是管理層對亞視前景一直表示保持樂觀，相信不少員工因為受到感染而留守。管理層鍥而不捨的精神，不能完全否定，只是，亞視員工對公司的信任，事態發展顯得愈來愈一廂情願，從公司把欠薪操作成欠債，可見一斑。員工的信任和忠誠，若成為股東利益的墊腳石，在道德層次也值得商榷。

亞視的借錢安排，還有一點值得注意，就是亞視財政狀況拖延下去，而「白武士」遲遲未出現，則股東向員工借錢會否持續下去？若股東繼續做「好心」，則三數月之後，員工欠股東的錢就相當可觀，然則，這種變相借錢代支薪的安排，對員工會構成怎樣的影響，是一個問題。我們認為勞工處應該積極介入了解，檢視員工在借錢安排的操作中，權益會否被侵蝕，並給員工提供輔導，協助他們作正確選擇。

另外，長期以來，亞視並未善用珍貴的公共資源大氣電波，形成免費電視市場缺乏真正競爭，本港電視節目質素每況愈下，創意產業陷於低潮，都與此有關。現在亞視營運發展到這般狀況，實際上喪失了免費電視台的應有職能，據知通訊事務管理局已經向政府建議，不予亞視續牌，行政會議就此應該盡早決斷，解決亞視的問題，讓大氣電波對香港社會發揮積極作用，也可以使亞視員工知道去向，重新規劃自己的工作甚至人生，不至因為情勢不明朗而蹉跎歲月。亞視的命運應及早決斷，是今次股東向員工借錢而折射出來的信息。

On ATV's lending its employees money

ASIA TELEVISION LIMITED (ATV), which has defaulted on its salary payments, has yet to pay its employees their wages of last December. The latest development has seen a major shareholder in the broadcaster lending money to its employees in the name of a company he owns.

As disclosed by its employees, ATV's management met with some members of the staff one by one on Tuesday last week, and, citing the company's intention of "addressing their pressing needs", urged them to sign receipts acknowledging that they had borrowed money from a company owned by the major shareholder. On doing so an employee would receive a cheque for a sum equal to his salary of last December. He must repay the money if he leaves ATV. We understand that, as the end of the Chinese year is approaching, when there are many claims on one's purse, many ATV employees have signed such IOUs.

Explaining the arrangement, the ATV management claimed that the major shareholder had done so "with the best intentions, trying to help employees in difficulty make ends meet". If the major shareholder had opened his purse to help ATV employees because he could not bear to see them in need, they would have been happy, and he would have won a reputation for being chivalrous. However, what ATV employees have received has not been given gratis. They are the major shareholder's debtors. Not only have they been denied their pay, but they are now in debt too. Try as we may, we cannot see the "best intentions" the ATV management has mentioned. Furthermore, that the major shareholder was willing to lend money to employees shows he has the money to pay them. But he has lent them money instead of paying them. It is evidently more accurate to say he has an axe to grind.

By lending ATV employees money the major shareholder has put himself at an advantage. Under a court order he has to sell a 10.75% stake in ATV. Tenders are now being invited. If, at this particular moment, ATV employees start to leave in droves because they are owed their pay, the sale of the stake will be made under even more unfavourable circumstances. One may say it is the ATV management's first priority to maintain the broadcaster's manpower and keep it in operation. For a mass exodus of its employees will further disincline potential buyers. Furthermore, shareholders in ATV will lose all their interests if it goes into liquidation. Though the ATV management has denied that money has been lent to employees to keep them from leaving, they have in fact been tied down.

For too long ATV has not put the airwaves, which are precious public resources, to good use. This is why there is little real competition in the free-to-air TV market, and this has to do with the fact that Hong Kong TV programmes have become poorer and poorer in quality and the creative industry is at a low ebb. ATV's operation is now such that it can no longer carry out its functions as a free-to-air TV station. We gather that the Communications Authority has recommended that the government should not renew ATV's free-to-air TV licence. The Executive Council should promptly decide what to do with the ATV question so that the airwaves can be put to good use. If it does so, ATV employees will be able to decide what to do and plan their careers and even their lives instead of wasting time because things are uncertain. The message of the ATV lending saga is that its fate should be determined as soon as possible.

亞視欠薪變成員工欠債 勞資權責顛倒莫此為甚

亞視拖欠員工薪金，12月份薪金仍未支付，事態最新發展是大股東以名下其他公司的名義，借錢給員工。

亞視員工透露，公司管理層上周二以「解燃眉之急」為由，逐一約見一些員工，游說他們簽署一張承認向大股東名下公司借錢的收據，一經簽署即可獲發一張等同12月份薪金的支票，若離職便須立即還錢。年關將至，在在需財，據知不少亞視員工簽下借據。

亞視管理層解釋借錢安排，乃大股東「純粹好心，為有困難的員工解決生計」。本來，若亞視大股東不忍員工生計無著，解囊濟助，員工自是歡喜，大股東也會贏得俠義美名，只是員工所得並非無償贈予，而是與大股東有債務關係，打工「無糧出」之餘，還欠下債項；因此，橫看直看，都感受不到管理層所說的「好心」，所謂何來。另外，亞視大股東肯向員工借錢，說明有財力支付薪金，現在卻寧願拖欠而給員工借錢，看來，另有用心才較準確反映真象。

亞視當局的借錢安排，客觀效果對大股東的處境有利。大股東按法庭的裁決，要出售10.75%亞視股權，有關招標出售程序正在進行，此際若因為欠薪關係，亞視員工大量流失，對出售股權會帶來更多不利因素；現在維持足夠人手，保持亞視運作，應該是亞視當局的優先事項，因為若員工星散，買家意欲更低，設若發展到以清盤方式解決，則股東的權益將化為烏有。亞視管理層雖說借錢並非為綁住員工，客觀上起碼衍生綑綁效果，卻是事實。

長期以來，亞視並未善用珍貴的公共資源大氣電波，形成免費電視市場缺乏真正競爭，本港電視節目質素每況愈下，創意產業陷於低潮，都與此有關。現在亞視營運發展到這般狀況，實際上喪失了免費電視台的應有職能，據知通訊事務管理局已經向政府建議，不予亞視續牌，行政會議就此應該盡早決斷，解決亞視的問題，讓大氣電波對香港社會發揮積極作用，也可以使亞視員工知道去向，重新規劃自己的工作甚至人生，不至因為情勢不明朗而蹉跎歲月。亞視的命運應及早決斷，是今次股東向員工借錢而折射出來的信息。