TMCnet News
Warid launches retrenchment driveISLAMABAD, Mar 30, 2009 (Asia Pulse Data Source via COMTEX) -- Warid Telecom of Abu Dhabi Group has launched a massive retrenchment drive in Pakistan as the companys Public Relationing (PR) Section has been totally abolished while dozens of employees from marketing section and other departments have also been shown the door. Company sources say that the lay off campaign had been started as the company was facing a major financial crunch. Smelling the catastrophe, Faisal Ejaz Khan, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), has also resigned while the new CEO is yet to be appointed by the company. When contacted, former spokesperson of Warid Telecom Farah Hussain, confirmed that the entire PR section had been abolished. She also confirmed that CEO Faisal Ejaz Khan had also resigned. No responsible officer is there at the company now to confirm anything about the company status, she added. Meanwhile, the economic disaster being faced by the company took another blow when a lawsuit was filed last week against Warid Telecom by the Chief Executive Officer of UN&I Training Development Consultants (UN&ITDC) Muhammad Umair Akhtar. Lawsuit that values Rs. 10.7 million was filed against Warid Telecom for violating a contract, which according to Umair, was mutually signed and agreed by Warid Officials and Umair Akhtar, CEO, UN&ITDC. The court of Civil Judge Lahore Hina Muzafar issued notices to CEO Warid Telecom and other nine marketing and segment operation senior officials in the company. Umair Akhtar, who filed this lawsuit, claimed that Warid violated a contract that was formally approved by Warids concerned officials on September, 5th, 2008. Furthermore lawsuit said that contract, which valued Rs. 8 million, was primarily for ZEM Ground the Underground 2008 (GTU) national music competition in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad - however, Warid denied to carry forward the agreement despite signed approvals causing loss to Umair Akhtar. Lawsuit is supported by the contract copy that has all description of the project with due signatures of Warid Telecoms senior management including the CEO to complete the project within next three months. Moreover, lawsuit mentions that in order to materialize the GTU project, Umair Akhtar hired contractual staff, designed all artwork with consuming substantial amount and purchased website as well as signed a contract with the third party to conduct a total of 13 events throughout the country within stipulated time according to the contract. There was just an email was sent by the Warid Telecom officials which expressed that management has decided to hold the GTU project without mentioning any reason or giving justification to freeze the campaign on September 29 last year, claimed Umair Akhtar in lawsuit. I repeatedly visited and tried to communicate through possible means with Warid Telecoms head office to know the fact that what happened immediately which forced the telecom company to hold the project even after signing its approval which allowed the me to consume huge funds in order to complete the project but nobody pays heed to the matter except exercising delaying tactics said the lawsuit. Consequently, Umair Akhtar was forced to serve a legal notice during December of previous year to the Warid Telecom company to pay a cost of Rs10.7 million as punitive compensation in result of breaching the contract and finally sued the telecom company while having no response from them so far. |