Kurdistan24 TV dismisses employees while on annual leave

"Kurdistan24 TV, based in the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Erbil, has terminated the employment of 20 individuals working in its offices in Turkey.

Established 8 years ago, Kurdistan24 TV, following a change in management, offered reporters, cameramen, news, and social media editors working in its Ankara, Istanbul, and Diyarbakir offices to work without insurance. The new management also requested employees to work in Erbil.

It is indicated that Kurdistan24 TV, which employs 26 people in its offices in Turkey, cites 'company changes' as the reason for the dismissals.

Ahmed el-Zawiti was appointed as the Editor-in-Chief of Kurdistan24 TV, known for his proximity to the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Mesrur Barzani while Abdulhamid Zebari became responsible for the website."

"They say 'it's absurd to take leave' to remote workers"

It is reported that the new Editor-in-Chief, Ahmed el-Zawiti, and the responsible person for the website, Abdulhamid Zebari, have told web employees that working from home and doing more work is necessary. They also mentioned that taking leave is "absurd" for the remote workers.

Employees, stating that rumors of dismissals within the institution were discussed 4 months ago, express that they have not been given any information during this period and have been constantly anxious about being laid off.

Employees who did not accept the demands of the new management were dismissed when they requested the improvement of working conditions and an increase in their salaries, which have not been raised for three years.

Employees also complain about not finding a contact person to solve their problems.

Özgür: Modest salary increases have been proportionally reduced in recent times

Adem Özgür is one of the journalists who were laid off. Özgür started working as an editor on the news site of Kurdistan24 TV on May 1, 2018. Since then, until the day he was laid off, he has contributed to numerous special and feature reports, interviews, and video-based news. Mostly working from home or the office, Özgür also conducted on-field news coverage during election periods.

Özgür mentions that there has been constant changes in management both in Turkey and Erbil since he started working on the site, and each new management comes with its own rules: "Because of this, there were constant changes in the news language. The latest management, however, insisted on gathering all website editors, including those working in Turkish, in the headquarters. Since we refused to go to Erbil, the entire Turkish and Kurdish service staff were recently laid off. We knew that the headquarters would impose extra work on us in the midst of all this intense workload and stress."

Özgür stated that their salaries have not been increased for about three years, and the modest salary increases from previous years have been proportionally reduced in recent times, and their demands have not been accepted: "The management fired us while we were on annual leave."

Some of those who were laid off have taken the offered severance pay, while some other have rejected it, stating that they find discrepancies in their payments, which should also include overtime payments.

It is reported that the new management is suggesting working without insurance to the reporters and cameramen they plan to collaborate with in the new period. (FD/PE)