Journalists at the state-run newspaper Al Thawra continued a strike calling for six months of unpaid back wages. The strike is now in its third day.
The Syndicate Committee released a statement saying they held the strike after reaching a dead end in negotiations with the paper. They accused the executive leadership of Al Thawra of refusing to take action to treat pay imbalances.
The Syndicate Committee said it was disappointed in the leaders of the newspaper. They called on President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi and Prime Minister Mohammed Salem Basindwa to intervene in order to “rescue the newspaper from collapse.”
Ahmed Al-Asd, a member of the Syndicate Committee, said the administration at Al Thawra newspaper still refuses to pay the overdue wages.
The administration pledged to pay employees in two phases with 50 percent being provided on Eid Al-Adha and the other 50 percent after that. However, to date, no action has been taken Al-Asd said.
He added that although the staff are on strike, the newspaper will continue functioning.
“It is not for the good of the newspaper to stop publishing,” he said.
Tawfeek Al-Shinwah, a striking journalist, said they will continue to strike until their wages are paid.
The issue of unpaid wages has been ongoing at the paper. Employees held a strike in July that caused the publication to temporarily shutdown.
Abdulrahman Bajash, the editor-in-chief of Al Thawra newspaper, reportedly handed in his resignation on November 20, but according to Al-Asd, the Minister of Information, Ali Al-Amrani, rejected it. Bajash mentioned in his resignation letter that he was appointed at a time when the institution was on the brink of collapse and felt unable to do his job effectively.
The Syndicate Committee released a statement saying they held the strike after reaching a dead end in negotiations with the paper. They accused the executive leadership of Al Thawra of refusing to take action to treat pay imbalances.
The Syndicate Committee said it was disappointed in the leaders of the newspaper. They called on President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi and Prime Minister Mohammed Salem Basindwa to intervene in order to “rescue the newspaper from collapse.”
Ahmed Al-Asd, a member of the Syndicate Committee, said the administration at Al Thawra newspaper still refuses to pay the overdue wages.
The administration pledged to pay employees in two phases with 50 percent being provided on Eid Al-Adha and the other 50 percent after that. However, to date, no action has been taken Al-Asd said.
He added that although the staff are on strike, the newspaper will continue functioning.
“It is not for the good of the newspaper to stop publishing,” he said.
Tawfeek Al-Shinwah, a striking journalist, said they will continue to strike until their wages are paid.
The issue of unpaid wages has been ongoing at the paper. Employees held a strike in July that caused the publication to temporarily shutdown.
Abdulrahman Bajash, the editor-in-chief of Al Thawra newspaper, reportedly handed in his resignation on November 20, but according to Al-Asd, the Minister of Information, Ali Al-Amrani, rejected it. Bajash mentioned in his resignation letter that he was appointed at a time when the institution was on the brink of collapse and felt unable to do his job effectively.
By Mohammed Al-Samei
