Press Statement

IJU hails High Court stay order on PTI retrenchment

28 Nov, 2018

The Indian Journalists Union, the largest and most representative organisation of journalists in the country, congratulates Federation of PTI Employees Union for their timely and persistent fight against the retrenchment of 297 employees and is upbeat that the Delhi High Court has done justice, albeit for starters, by staying their retrenchment till final disposal of case.

In a statement today, IJU President D Amar and Secretary General Sabina Inderjit hailed the High Court order as a victory of working journalists and the trade union movement in the media, which in the recent past has been facing many challenges. The IJU said that the retrenchment of 297 employees in one stroke by the PTI management on September 29 was clearly “arbitrary and illegal”, condemned by all, and was a means to do away with permanent Wage Board employees.

The IJU, which has expressed its solidarity with the Federation of PTI Employees Union, also notes that the High Court’s stay and refusal to grant time to the PTI management to appeal against the order, renews hope that the recent trend of arbitrary laying off of employees and journalists by various media organizations would be curtailed sooner than later. In fact, the IJU urges journalists in all media to take a cue from the PTI union and fight for the safety and security of jobs unitedly. The Supreme Court, during the hearing of the Majithia Wage Board implementation, had ruled that contract employees too came under its ambit and therefore the media management must be cautioned against the arbitrary and whimsical sacking of their employees.

With the PTI union asking the employees to join duty from tomorrow, the IJU cautioned the management against delaying tactics and it must ensure justice and fair play.