Unpaid for months, Nawa-e-Waqt staffers face severe crisis

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 28 August 2019

Nawa-e-Waqt staffers have gone without pay for six to seven months, leading to dire financial conditions. They have appealed to management for immediate salary release.

Summary

ISLAMABAD — Khaleeq Kiani, a correspondent of Dawn, has shared a letter of Nawa-e-Waqt employees who narrate their financial difficulties because of wage delays for the last six to seven months.

In his tweet, Kiani while sharing the letter said this is not a story of labor camp but a story of a newspaper.

The letter sent to Rameeza Majid Nizami, Managing Director of Nawa-e-Waqt Group, on August 20, demands immediate release of outstanding salaries.

The letter, without signatures, points out that the employees in Islamabad were facing acute financial difficulties. It adds that they were meeting their household expenditures through loans.

“Our homes are now facing starvation. Most of us have not paid the school fee for children. Schools are not promoting the kids to new classes because of non-payment.”

Most of the employees, according to the letter, have stopped using their motorcycles and cars to come to work.

The staffers assured the chief editor they would continue to work professionally and diligently. However, they demanded immediate clearance of their six months’ wages.

KEY POINTS:

• Employees report severe financial difficulties due to wage delays.
• Many staffers are resorting to loans to cover household expenses.
• Non-payment of school fees is affecting children's education.
• Employees have stopped using personal vehicles to get to work.
• A letter demanding unpaid wages was sent to management on August 20.