Media Week’s editorial staff has left the building, it seems. The current roster of writers and editors have now either left, or are serving their last days today, leaving the Emirates Neon Group magazine without an editorial team, for the moment.
Although no-one’s saying as much on the record, AdNation understands the team quit over unpaid wages. Dues for some staff remain unpaid since the summer, we hear.
ENG publishing director Mike Orlov didn’t comment directly on the suggestion that ENG wasn’t paying its staff, but described the current employment situation as “volatile” and said ENG wished its former Media Week employees all the best.
“It’s a very difficult market situation. A very high number of companies are owed a great deal of money by their customers, which has led to problems with companies meeting their requirements, and ENG, amongst many other businesses, has suffered,” said Orlov.
Full story here
34 comments:
This is about as close as you can come to industrial action in the UAE, so well done for walking, but why wait so long? We hear they have 3.5 months of unpaid still owed. THREE AND A HALF MONTHS!!!
And the ministry of labour has looked into ENG on numerous occasions, so how are they still running? And on three, after me... WASTA!
Another shining beacon of labour law abuse in the Middle East - makes you almost as proud as those Gulf News readers (see previous feed)
Who would want to work there now? So many ex staff are owed money still and being told to wait, only a fool would think they would be doing a good thing by moving there...actually, on that basis I guess ITP will be losing a few people!
Does MediaWeek actually get printed?
As for Mike Orlov, the man should be selling Ford Cortinas in a backstreet of Dagenham.
sounds no worse than portsmouth football club
Can we have a thread on the Sheikh Issa ruling and the British rape case. Justice at its best...
they should be taken into the desert and beaten up then sacked without pay and deported with no testicles.
Issa Shaikhing down these trouble makers need.
Portsmouth FC people have been paid. And if they had taken Portsmouth to court they would have definitely go their money.
ENG just abuses their staff...anyone who is still there is a muppet
Is Rehan Merchant still driving around in a Ferrari? Obviously ENG's problems don't keep him awake much at night.
Media Week closed last night... sad times.Brilliant mag and great staff one thing ENG was employ good people. I wont list the things they do badly would have to set up my own website..
Campaign has been 'put on hold' as well. Is this advertisers not having much of a market to reach anymore?
Or a sudden damascene realisation that the tits who populate the region's ad industry are a bunch of illiterate poseurs with as much intellect as a matchstick?
11:22. No it hasn't.
When you put it like 17.26, I see you're point. I never met a smart matchstick.
why are ENG still allowed to employ or give employment visas? Mike Orlov is recruiting from the uk! wouldnt it be easier to pay the existing staff than fly out new ones?
If the non payment of wages was a reflection on the current situation why does Rehan drive about in flash cars and live a flash lifestyle.
In regard to Mike Orlovs return to the company,will he be taking a pay cut?can bet he wont be moaning about unpaid wages at the end of the month.
Yeah let’s not forget that a company would not be allowed to close a publication and relaunch anywhere else in the world because they had fucked it up and pissed off so many people. Just typical of Rehan Merchant showing that people don’t matter, another lot will come along shortly so we can take the piss out of them and not give them what they are owed. As for labour cases I agree WHY can ENG issue new visa’s when other companies are not allowed to when they have ongoing labour cases against them! If you do contemplate a career move to ENG, word to the wise DON’T. As a previous poster said Rehan Merchant is still living the champagne lifestyle while his current employees worry where their next meal is coming from. Rehan Merchant will lure you in with great promises however when the chips are down he just doenst give a toss. Rumour has it he is more than happy to use blackmail as a weapon against employees to get what he wants.
interesting...
15:55
Haaaaa!
Rehan Merchant does not know how to live a flash liflestyle, he just hangs around with the British Chavs he's employed, pretends that he's white and accepted like them and talks about his desire to visit the nightclubs of Newcastle.
Having lots of money may be able to buy a Ferrari but it can never buy taste, style and class?
So what has happened to Pip-squeak Petch, so he's slipped the golden handcuffs, cashed in his chips and fucked off to South Africa? Good riddance to bad rubbish.
ENG Staff - hope you get your money but ENG will try everything to avoid payment.
Re Interesting
First, the title of the debate was "This House believes Dubai is a bad idea" not "Is Dubai a bad idea?"
Also - The National refused to cover the debate when it was held about a month ago (the ad was for the prerecorded TV broadcast) So this was just a wind-up/pubicity stunt by Sebastian. He knew the paper would pull the ad.
Lastly before Sebastian starts going on about blows to press freedom - would he host a debate next year saying "This House believes Doha is a bad idea?"
On the other hand, it would be nice if Hassan could grow a pair.
ENG were struggling with wages as far back as October 2008 (in my experience). Neil Petch came round subbing staff an advance from a pile of (he claimed) his own cash. When they did arrive, the wages were v good.
You put up with the inconvience, the dodginess, the stress because you were getting 20% more than your last job - and 40% more than you might expect back in the UK.
Dubai media industry is no different to the city's other sectors. Good luck to ENG staff.
18:51
Wages are only any use when paid in full on time.
No one would sign a contract from over seas to be paid in bits and bobs from Petch or Rehans rainy day money.
Also at the end of the day no one gets paid more than they did in their last job because they all end up in bank arrears never mind trying to pay rent etc.
I am told there were people in the company employed on stupid salaries,then there were alot that werent,and didnt receive much of it,in full or on time.
Good luck to ENG staff,whoever is left.
Not on the MW subject, but certainly question of the day in here: How come several journalists who have worked for a particular media company have not exposed its owner who has in his villa some kind of an illegal private zoo with several endangered animals in it. .
http://www.journalism.co.uk/75/articles/536915.php
Media Weak has been delivered to my office for the last few weeks. Not sure where all this came from. I do however hear that Abu Dhabi Weak is close to folding. Trouble at Tourettes?
MR BIG R.M. lost his first labour case .... yes the ones he said he cant loose ... good luck to the rest of you .... the system works !!!!!!
ANY MORE ON THAT, C'MON SPILL D BEANZ
WHO WAS IT WHO WON????
Damn... Its not as if ENG is the only company to do this. You all are just suffering from prolonged hormonal imbalances because of the job insecurity... why else has this blog become the forum for Rehan bashing?
Suggest u take some other ex-ENG employees perspectives as well. There are many who wont have anything but nice things to say about him and this time isn't the best to judge anyone.
They have not got the money yet.....and as people still havent been paid who left in August I wouldnt go spending it yet
And Rehan is going to lose another case very soon.
Isn't it the case that after you have left, the company can file an absconding case after one year, and thus not have to pay you a single fil?
latest news: Emirates Neon Group and what is remaining from ruwaad have been asked to move from Emaar Business Park as it was not good for the reputation of Emaar Group to host such companies who are delaying staffs salaries and commission and not paying workers and even suppliers, without counting on the visit of labour department officers and police officers following many complaints.... something like "you smel bad look somewhere else" bye bye...
"delaying staffs salaries" how about screwing staff out of everything they owe them and more.
Fresh News: mike orlov has been told bye bye by rehan...honey moon is over? It would be a nice movie title "the 2 Losers Honey Moon"
mike orlov oversaw the whole team but sales was managed by a man from UK called darren who was fired when the salaries stopped being paid. buy then it was too late and all the sales people had left. mike was a good man, but the Sales Manager working under him were useless and never maid any money to pay salary.
They were still running because, get this of all things,Hanif, Hayan and, Rehans sposor was or still is the Minister of Finance (not joking) I breifly worked for them and walked after the first 4 MONTHS!! having not been paid, it was ridiculous, they were a total joke with nothing but excuses. Amidst the Real estate crash, they had the bright idea of opening a company called Aqsa Real Estate, it was a total shambles considering the fact that they had NO licence NO bank accounts NOTHING for a legal operating company in Dubai, they were just trying to piggyback on Ruwaads licence, even though it was hemorraging money badly. I could honestly go on and on about the jokers behind that group but i can't be bothered to continue, however, i will add one little tid bit.
After 2 months of being there, I became more acquainted with the office staff eg. tea boys, drivers and admin girls, who were all lovely, the more I knew them, the more they opened up about their time as employees there. Firstly they had no access to their passports, 2. they had not been paid in months and had bills coming out of their eyeballs.
3. they were not allowed to seek better employment to find somewhere that would pay them (weren't given a release letter) 4. one instance was the girls after not being payed for 3 months from "mr hayan merchant" was they were offered 100 dirhams or less than 30 dollars (YES 100!!!) to buy rice!!! All other staff at a later date after 4 months, were offered 25% of the FIRST months salary, not 25% of the 4 months. A SHAMEFUL GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS who happened to be paying 6 million per year in rent for their 30,00 sq ft office alone!! oh AND they lost all my original college certification, mind you that was a totally incompitent woman by the name of sharon in HR (she wasn't paid either though, so I'll let it slide hehe) Wow, i feel good to get some of that off my chest even though some of it may seem a bit garbled. add more please, i have enjoyed some of the reading.
Post a Comment