New Delhi, September 30 (MExN): The Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) has raised strong objection to the “arbitrary retrenchment” of 297 permanent employees by the management of the Press Trust of India in a single day, on September 29. “We condemn this move by the PTI management and demand that it be revoked at the earliest,” stated the DUJ in a press release from its President, SK Pande, and General Secretary, Sujata Madhok, today. It informed that the PTI management has chosen to suddenly “throw out” staffers who have spent long years building up the country’s premier news agency, taking it to new heights. “They have been summarily thrown out by putting up a list of names at the PTI office. Letters have, reportedly, been sent to homes and, according to the management’s claims, dues have been directly transferred to individual bank accounts,” noted the press release. The DUJ demanded that the Union Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting “must step in at this juncture to stop these anti-labour and anti-media moves.” Further, the DUJ called upon all PTI employees to unite in solidarity and resist the entrenchment. The Union also called upon the wider community of media persons, both journalists and non-journalists, to show solidarity with their “victimized colleagues in the PTI.” Meanwhile, the Federation of PTI Employees’ Unions (FPEU) has termed the retrenchment of 297 employees “illegal” and demanded its withdrawal with immediate effect. In a letter to the CEO of the PTI, Venky Venkatesh, the General Secretary of the FPEU, Balram Singh Dahiya, stated that the Union will hold gate meetings and dharnas from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm at all PTI centres starting Monday, October 1, “till the illegal retrenchment orders are rescinded.”
