ITNE issues notices to ‘Daily Express’ management

ISLAMABAD, September 29, 2010: The Implementation Tribunal for Newspaper Employees (ITNE), Islamabad, has admitted for regular hearing cases lodged by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) against one of the emerging leading media empire ‘Express Group’ and issued separate notices to its nine stations on the charge of non-implementation of Seventh Wage Board Award.

The ITNE was constituted under Section 12-A of the Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act 1973 for ensuring implementation of the Wage Board Award.

 ITNE Chairman Nasir Hussain Haidri, while admitting the pleas of the PFUJ, summoned the management of ‘Express Group’ to appear before the tribunal on November 12 at Islamabad, through a duly authorised agent or legal representatives duly instructed and able to answer all questions relating to the cases.

Earlier, the tribunal had directed the ‘Express Group’ management to file statements as well as submit complete record of employees working in their respective organisations and details of wages, allowances being paid to them since their joining.

The ITNE also sought the record pertaining to attendance of their employees, appointment letters and other vital information.

The notices have been issued to the management of ‘Daily Express’ Lahore, Rahimyar Khan, Peshawar, Gujranwala, Quetta, Sukkur, Sargodha, Islamabad, Multan, and Faisalabad.

The PFUJ asked all employees working in ‘Daily Express’ in Lahore, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Quetta, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Rahimyar Khan, Multan and Peshawar, to immediately put up their claims, objections, grievances, vis-à-vis Seventh Wage Award and the present pay structure, to the PFUJ Secretariat.

The PFUJ further stated that it would ensure recovery of all arrears and legitimate dues of employees from their organisations provided they intimate particulars of their employment, with specific reference to the actual amount being paid to them by the employers, nature of duties being performed by them. If they were not issued letters of appointment even then they should intimate their particulars indicating date of working and other information about their job, the PFUJ asked.

The PFUJ pointed out all those employees who had served in the ‘Daily Express’ but relieved from the duties, dismissed, terminated or removed but their dues were not paid in consonance with the Seventh Wage Board Award they can also contact the PFUJ Secretariat for filing their claims.

It may be noted that the PFUJ has filed more than 1,500 cases against all media outlets (print media) for non-implementation of the Seventh Wage Board Award before the ITNE.

The PFUJ once again announce that any newspaper employee having any complaint or objection, grievance for non-implementation of the Seventh Wage Board Award and for recovery of his legitimate wages and allowances admissible under the labour laws, can contact the PFUJ by sending complaints-applications.