Dawn slaps 40 percent cut in staff wages

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 30 January 2019

Dawn Media Group has announced a 40 percent reduction in staff salaries starting February 1, 2019, amid financial difficulties. This decision marks a significant move as it is the first newspaper in Pakistan to implement wage cuts during the ongoing media crisis.

Summary

ISLAMABAD – The Dawn Media Group, publishers of Dawn newspaper and monthly Herald, has decided to impose a 40 percent cut in staff salaries because of falling advertising revenue and an increase in operational costs.

The decision which comes into effect from February 1, 2019, makes Dawn the first newspaper in Pakistan to cut wages during the current crisis plaguing the media.

According to a circular made available to JournalismPakistan.com, the company has informed staff it has become tough to sustain huge recurring deficits, and that it had to act without delay.

The circular says “it has been decided to reduce the extent of Provisional Additional Payment (PAP) being provisionally paid to employees in addition to their wages.”

The company said that it was reducing Provisional Additional Payment as an initial measure to maintain the paper’s existing staff strength as far as possible.

Dawn group’s television channel DawnNews has sacked several employees recently citing financial crunch.