The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Leaders of three unions of the Daily Ittefaq yesterday said several former journalists and employees of the Daily Ittefaq, giving a statement to newspapers, sought cooperation from the government, civil society and journalist community.

"We strongly condemned issuing such a malicious and undesirable statement to the newspapers," they said.

In the statement the former journalists and employees mentioned that "taking advantage of the state of emergency, some are being retrenched when they are undergoing treatment at hospitals or on leave of absence."

"But, the present management of the Daily Ittefaq has not relieved anyone of service while undergoing treatment.

We vehemently reject such an utter lie, and want to assert that the journalists and employees were retrenched according to the labour laws, instead of taking advantage of the state of emergency," they said.

The three unions leaders said the Ittefaq authorities are grateful to those who contributed to stand the Ittefaq on its own feet. In order to pay the price for it, Ittefaq has been lagging behind. Some of those who had lost job, became much older and some of them were incompetent. In spite of all these things, the Ittefaq authorities paid the dues of many of the retrenched staff lending money. Those who are yet to get their dues have been given assurance to provide in installments. "We want to know which newspaper of the country made this example," they asked.

"We understand the pain of those who took the Ittefaq on the verge of ruination through free-hand looting. It is earnest request to you not to do anymore harm to Ittefaq being enticed by the enemies of Ittefaq. We have got a favourable atmosphere of work and we are in peace," they said.