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Employees of TV Channel Allege
Non-payment of Salaries

DUBAI - Many employees of ARY Digital, a popular Pakistani TV channel with its head office based in Dubai Media City, are reportedly frustrated as a result of non-payment of salaries for the last three months.

However, when contacted, Tariq Wasi, head of operations for ARY Digital Network, Dubai denied all the allegations.

An employee of the channel, who did not want to be named, informed Khaleej Times in a telephonic conversation that the company had not paid many of its employees their dues for the last three months.

“The problem with delayed payments began six months back. First they would delay the payment by one and a half month or so, but for the last three months we have not got our salaries,” he said.

Salim said that he and his colleagues had repeatedly asked the finance department of the company for funds because the banks were hounding him to clear his credit card debts. “But the company told me to procure the funds on my own.” said a highly agitated employee.

“However, Wasi said, “We are a Pakistani news channel based in Dubai and we are shifting our news operations to Pakistan. We have spent a lot for opening up a new news studio in Karachi.

“For this purpose almost 30 per cent of our employees were asked to move to Pakistan. Some of the employees were not happy with this decision and I assume they are giving misleading information to the media.”

But an employee in the Human Resources Department for ARY Digital admitted that the company was having financial problems for the last six months.

“Our funds come in directly from Pakistan and in the last few months the value of the Pakistani rupee has fallen drastically, due to which the company has been tight on funds. But this is a temporary situation, and in the next two months the situation will get better,” said the employee.

Grievances Department

THE Ministry of Labour has a grievances department, called Natawasal. With two offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Natawasal addresses the problems of the people who have not been paid their salaries.

The organisation takes five working days, and Natwasal intervenes to facilitate the employee’s transfer of sponsorship without the consent of the previous company.

dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com