The Sun 's management may reconsider its earlier decision to continue with the retrenchment exercise but is unlikely to reinstate 42 staff already laid-off, the National Union of Journalists said today.

NUJ secretary-general Hong Boon How said that since the last round of retrenchment on Friday, no other employees of the company had received termination letters.

Hong said that this was conveyed to him this evening by Sun Media Corp Sdn Bhd executive director Frankie Tay Thiam Siew.

"However, he also said that it was unlikely that the company would reinstate the retrenched workers," said Hong.

According to Hong, the management requested for a two-week grace period to allow the company's shareholders to make a decision over the payment of the two-month contractual bonus which was scheduled for release last month and in February.

When NUJ met with the daily's management on Jan 7, the management had agreed to inform the union on the matter by today.

"The union feels that the company should not deny the bonus payment as it represents an important clause in the 2000-2002 NUJ-Sun collective agreement," said Hong in his press statement.

The union also warned the management not to engage in any delaying tactics as it will only create further industrial disharmony in the company.

Fate unknown

Last week, Tay told The Sun editorial staff that former editor-in-chief H'ng Hung Yong had promised the bonus last December without consulting the company.

Termination letters handed over to the retrenched staff last Friday stated that those affected would be entitled for salary up to their last working day, fixed allowances calculated up to the last working day, a one-month's salary for the absence of a proper notice and retrenchment benefits under the collective agreement. However, no mention was made of the bonus payment.

The massive and overnight sackings at The Sun followed a controversial Christmas Day front-page report of a plot to kill the country's top two leaders.

H'ng, who was also editor-in-chief, resigned on Dec 26 and he was followed by the daily's editor, Andy Ng, the next day.

Managing editor Chong Cheng Hai, chief news editor Robert Ho, journalist R Manirajan and photographer Anita Md Nasir were suspended over the Dec 25 report and are still awaiting their fate.