PFUJ slams removal of employees from Nawa-i-Waqat group

PFUJ slams removal of employees from Nawa-i-Waqat group

ISLAMABAD,Jan 4:- The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has expressed its resentment over removal of senior media related workers from Urdu Daily “Nawa-i-Waqt” without any prior notice and payment of legitimate dues and termed it a cruel and arbitrary act and a classic example of lawlessness.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, the PFUJ said that the management of Nawa-i-Waqt which also publishes English daily The Nation removed over 525 workers, including journalists; a majority of them were attached with these dailies for over two to three decades, in Lahore, Rawalpindi-Islamabad, Multan and Karachi.

The PFUJ further said that the removal of the media workers from the Nawa-i-Waqt had become a regular feature and such barbaric acts of the management are continuing without any interruption.

Recently, 14 senior employees working in Nawa-i-Waqt, Karachi, were sacked abruptly.

Those sacked included Bachal Leghari, Senior Reporter, Qari Hassan Javed, Magazine Editor, Mushtaque Sohail, News Editor, Mohammad Anwaar, Copy Paster, Mukhdoom Hussain, Hafeezullah - Machine Man at Press, M. Younis, Machine Man at Press, Mohammad Saddique, Mohammad Sultan, Nazir, and others.

The PFUJ pointed out that sacked employees are founders of Nawa-i-Waqt, Karachi who devoted their youth and blood in building the Nawa-i-Waqt Media scrap to a big empire with assets of billion of rupees.

It is another aspect that Nawa-i-Waqt earning millions of rupees on annual basis is not paying any worthwhile wealth, income and other taxes towards government treasurery, yet it claims itself to be a champion of rule of law.

The PFUJ pointed out that the Nawa-i-Waqt management claims that employees have been removed as they reached the age of superannuation, therefore their services are no longer required.

Castigating the acts of omission and commission of the Nawa-i-Waqt Group, the PFUJ reminded that it is known that it never allowed lawful rights to its workers and even right of formation of trade unions.

Legitimate financial rights and fair wages as admissible under the

wage board awards and labour laws were never extended to them, the PFUJ said and that all the relieved workers were working in the group for years together and if at all they had reached the age of retirement, they should have been informed prior to drastic action of removal from service for enabling them to make arrangement for a job to meet their livelihood.

It further pointed out that unfortunately the Nawa-i-Waqt Group claims itself to be a champion of democracy, human rights, rule of law, Quran and Sunnah and custodian of “ideology of Pakistan” besides preacher of founder of Pakistan Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, but everyone is aware that the founder of Pakistan always advocated supremacy of law, humanity, equity, fair-play, rights and justice.

How can the Nawa-i-Waqat management justify its act of summarily removing workers in phases without any prior notice, and forcing the remaining employees to share their duties without any extra remuneration with a threat that they would be also be shown door, the PFUJ asserted.

The PFUJ argued that as per cannons of justice and labour laws it is legal and moral obligation of every employer to serve at least three months advance notice while taking such a drastic action and should also pay three months wages alongwith reliving orders order besides payment of all accrued legitimate dues, including provident fund, gratuity, pension as per 7th Wage Board Award and other enabling laws.

All such codal requirements were not fulfilled by the management which indicates malicious mindset and callousness, the PFUJ maintained.

Condemning the management action, the PFUJ demanded that all sacked workers be compensated forthwith with their legitimate arrears of the 7th Wage Board Award, and other accrued benefits as per labour laws as well as three months wages as a notice for removal.

The PFUJ warned that if legitimate dues were not paid to relieved employees of the Nawa-i-Waqt Group, the PFUJ would be compelled to give a call for country-wide besieging of the offices of the group and demonstrations.

Shamsul Islam Naz
Secretary General
PAKISTAN FEDERAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS
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