JournalismPakistan.com | Published October 01, 2019
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ISLAMABAD — Dunya Media Group has fired over 80 employees from its Multan station just over a month after similar wholesale sackings in Lahore.
Insiders tell JournalismPakistan.com that those sacked belonged to Daily Dunya and Dunya News Television.
The management plans to have a centralized desk to be run by only a few surviving staffers.
The media group is said to have paid three-month salaries to the laid-off staffers.
In August, the group cut nearly 70 jobs at Dunya News in Lahore, a decision that drew condemnation from the International Journalists Federation (IFJ) and Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ).
Journalist unions in Lahore protested those job cuts. They even locked up the news organization’s offices for a few hours and called for the reinstatement of their terminated colleagues.
However, those calls fell on deaf ears.
Many other media houses also terminated staff earlier this year, reducing wages, and in some instances even shutting down their news outlets.
June 19, 2020: Urdu newspaper Jehan Pakistan has laid off four reporters and seven newsroom staff in Islamabad, shifting to an online-only format. The management has promised to settle all dues, including three months' wages, for the terminated employees.
May 03, 2020: ARY Digital Network announces a three-month salary cut to cope with the financial crisis due to COVID-19, exempting staff earning up to Rs100,000. DawnNews Television also reduces salaries by 10 percent.
May 01, 2020: DawnNews Television cuts staff salaries by 10 percent and halves fuel allowances amid ongoing financial challenges. This marks the third pay cut in a year, highlighting the severe impact on Pakistani journalists facing layoffs and delayed salaries since 2018.
March 05, 2020: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) condemns the sudden closure of the Daily Asian newspaper, which left 60 journalists jobless. PFUJ urges the government to regulate media licenses to prevent misuse.
October 02, 2019: ARY News and Aaj News Television have terminated 150 employees as part of a downsizing strategy, drawing condemnation from the IFJ and PFUJ. This follows previous layoffs at Dunya News, highlighting growing concerns over job security and unpaid wages for journalists in Pakistan.
September 26, 2019: Aaj News Television has laid off about a dozen employees from its Lahore and Islamabad offices, including assignment editors, reporters, and camerapersons. The terminations were reportedly abrupt, with no prior notice and no payment for three months' salaries as required by contract.
September 25, 2019: 24 News has terminated Sajid Mughal, their Malikwal correspondent, reportedly due to pressure from a political figure. Mughal had recently reported on an audio involving Muhammad Khan Bhatti, which led to his house being occupied and false FIRs filed against him. He claims his dismissal was without a show-cause notice or reason.
August 29, 2019: The Dunya Media Group has laid off 70 employees from Dunya News Television, marking one of the largest job cuts in Pakistani media in the past year. Journalist bodies have condemned the move, demanding the reinstatement of the sacked staff and a government ban on advertisements for media houses that terminate employees.
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