PFUJ concerned over massive retrenchment in Media Times groups
ISLAMABAD, Jan. 22:- The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ)
has expressed its dismay and concern over arbitrary sacking of around
300 media related employees from Urdu daily Aaj Kal and television
Channel Business Plus, including Editor Aaj Kal, Khalid Chaudhry,
without any notice and termed it a cruel act and classic example of
lawlessness.
Reports reaching PFUJ Secretariat revealed that more than 160
employees of Daily Aaj Kal and Business Plus were sacked from Karachi
Office, another 65 from Lahore and 55 from Islamabad. The sacked
staffers were not even paid any arrears and notice pay in lieu of
termination order as envisaged under the law.
Media Times, which was owned by late Punjab Governor Salman Taseer had
been in trouble since the launching of Urdu Daily “Aaj Kal” in
2007.
Initially, the group that also publishes English daily “Daily Times”
had looked strong enough but with the beginning of the Daily “Aaj
Kal”, the group staffers had been witnessing various crises, including retrenchments
of the media related employees in phases from Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi, Quetta,
Peshawar and other parts of the country.
Ironically, all those who has been retrenched during the past one year
from the group publications and channels were not paid their
legitimate dues, arrears, and other fringe benefits in terms of 7th
Wage Board Award, the PFUJ added.
The PFUJ pointed out that the group has also been delaying payment of
salaries to its employees and there used to be a backlog of four
months’ salaries for the last two years.
The PFUJ pointed out that the Media Times started its publications and
channels with a claim that it would bring a revolution in the media
sector on the basis of quality and excellent working environment in
which the entire employees would be given remuneration as per their
professional capability.
The PFUJ contended that act sudden removal of media related
employees form the Media Time group is not only illegal, but against
provisions of labour laws, morally and constitutionally. It is also a
serious offence and it is pity that the concerned departments,
especially labour department have failed to take action against them
which reflects that there is no rule of law in the country, especially
to check unlawful and illegal acts of media owners,” the PFUJ
asserted.
The PFUJ said how strange is that 300 media related employees who
were working in the Media Times publications and had more than service
from 5 to six years to their credit were sacked in one go without any
notice or payment of dues or intimation.
“Even for an ordinary worker of a small factory in such circumstances,
the management has to fulfill certain legal obligations and seek
permission from the Labour Department but by this act of the media
management has once again proved that there is no concept of respect
for law in Pakistan for media persons”. During the past two years
already more than 1500 employees from various media organisations had
been unilaterally and arbitrarily had been sacked without any legal
justification and payment of legitimate dues, the PFUJ asserted.
The PFUJ demanded of the Federal and Punjab, Sindh governments to
take notice of the high-handedness of the management Media Times and
they should be proceeded as per law on charge of illegal lock-out and
other provisions of labour laws.
The PFUJ expressing its full support to the affected staff of the
daily assured them that it would not allow media owners to treat media
persons as a “tissue paper” and would fight for their rights in all forums come what may.
Shamsul Islam Naz
Secretary General
PAKISTAN FEDERAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS
Cellular +92(0)300 8665523
+92(0)321 8665523
http://www.shamsulislamnaz.com
http://www.pfuj.pk
http://www.facebook.com/
http://shamsulisalmnaz.
http://pk.linkedin.com/pub/
http://twitter.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment