IFWJ Demands for Expansion and Retention of Working Journalists Act

New Delhi | The Indian Federation of Working Journalists (IFWJ) has called upon all of the country’s trade unions to work unitedly to protect workers’ rights. The Federation has demanded that both central and state governments ensure that labour laws are enforced to safeguard the interests of media employees.

On the occasion of May Day, IFWJ reiterated here today that the wages of media employees have not been revised for almost one and a half decades; therefore, a new wage board should be established without any further delay. The Federation has also demanded that instead of repealing the W J Act, it should be retained, with its ambit and scope expanded. The Working Journalists Act is sui generis, as it cannot be compared to workers in other sectors.

IFWJ’s Secretary General Parmanand Pandey has asked the Central government to include all media employees from electronic and web media, in addition to print media, under the Working Journalists Act to ensure that their wages and benefits are protected. Similar demands were made in a meeting held in Bangalore under the leadership of IFWJ President B.V. Mallikarjunaih and Additional Secretary General Madan Gowda, and also in Lucknow, which was organised by IFWJ Vice President Hemant and Secretary Siddharth Kalhans.