Jurnos urge Jaitley for wage board for TV employees

Electronic Media Forum Assam (EMFA), while congratulating Arun Jaitley for being bestowed the responsibility of Information & Broadcasting ministry (under GoI), urges him for initiating a separate wage board for the employees of privately owned television channels of India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 10 in New Delhi distributed the portfolios of his expanded Union cabinet, where Jaitley has been given the Information & Broadcasting (I&B) ministry in addition to Finance and Corporate Affairs.

“We expect new I&B minister to take up the issue of a separate wage board for the television employees in the line of Majithia Wage Board for journalist and non-journalist media employees of newspapers and news agencies for regular pay hike and other due benefits,” said a statement issued by EMFA.

The Supreme Court of India in a recent verdict asked the newspaper/news agency owners to implement the recommendations of Majithia Wage Board since November 2011 such that they can get structured and regular pay hikes till their retirements.

The umbrella body of all employees, including the journalists, engaged in Assam based private channels, pointed out that nearly 80 per cent television employees across the country are still performing their duties with pitiable salaries, unlimited working hours and without basic facilities recommended by the country’s labour laws.

“If a separate wage board for the television employees is not possible at this moment, they should be allowed to get the advantages of Majithia Wage Board as directed by the apex court of the country,” added the EMFA statement.