भड़ास4मीडिया पर पिछले वर्ष एक खबर प्रकाशित की गई थी, जिसका शीर्षक था- नौकरी छोड़ा तो अब 75 हजार रुपये जुर्माना भरो! खबर में बताया गया था कि ईटीवी में जो पत्रकार नौकरी शुरू करते हैं तो उनसे किस तरह ढेर-सारे नियम-कानूनों से युक्त एक बांड भरवाया जाता है और तय समयावधि से पहले नौकरी छोड़ने के बाद बांड के नियम-शर्तों के आधार पर ईटीवी प्रबंधन पत्रकार से 75000 रुपये जुर्माना मांगता है। ईटीवी की यह अमानवीय पालिसी अब भी नहीं बदली है। इन अलोकतांत्रिक सेवा-शर्तों के एक भुक्तभोगी ने अपनी पीड़ा का बयान भड़ास ब्लाग पर किया है। क्या कोई बंधुआ मजदूरी की इस प्रथा को रोक सकता है? शीर्षक से प्रकाशित पोस्ट में भुक्तभोगी पत्रकार ने ईटीवी प्रबंधन द्वारा नौकरी छोड़ने के बाद वसूली के लिए भेजे गए धमकी भरे मेल और नौकरी ज्वाइन करते समय भरवाए गए बांड की शर्तों को उजागर किया है।
पत्रकारिता की डिग्री व डिप्लोमा लेकर उत्तर भारत के छात्रों को जब कहीं नौकरी नहीं मिलती तो वे खोजते-भटकते हैदराबाद तक पहुंच जाते हैं। ईटीवी में पहले उनका टेस्ट लिया जाता है। टेस्ट पास करने पर उनसे कई तरह के कागजात पर साइन कराने के बाद उन्हें काम पर लगा दिया जाता है। ये पत्रकारिता के प्रशिक्षु पहली नौकरी मिलने की खुशी में ईटीवी प्रबंधन की हर सेवा-शर्त को आंख मूंदकर मान लेते हैं और मैनेजर जहां-जहां कहते हैं, वहां-वहां साइन मारते जाते हैं। कुछ वर्षों बाद इन युवा पत्रकारों को जब महसूस होता है कि उन्हें काफी कम पैसे मिलते हैं, ज्यादा काम लिया जाता है और अपने इलाके से बेहद दूर रह रहे हैं तो नौकरी के लिए उत्तर भारत के मीडिया हाउसों में हाथ-पांव मारना शुरू कर देते हैं। अगर कहीं जुगाड़ बैठता है तो वे तुरंत ईटीवी से नौ-दो ग्यारह हो जाते हैं।
ईटीवी प्रबंधन पत्रकारों के भागने से परेशान रहता है और उसने इसका इलाज बांड और पैसा वसूली के जरिए निकाला है ताकि अव्वल तो कोई बांड के डर से भागे नहीं और अगर कोई भागता है तो वह भारी भरकम रकम जमा करे जिससे कंपनी अपनी कथित क्षतिपूर्ति कर सके। कम पैसे में ज्यादा काम, उपर से तानाशाहों वाले कायदे-कानून- ईटीवी में नौकरी करने की कठिन सेवा-शर्तों की खुलासा करती ये आफिसियल मेल अगर आप पढ़ लेंगे तो आपको अंदाजा हो जाएगा कि पत्रकार कहने को दुनिया भर के लोगों की दिक्कतों-मुसीबतों की खबरें लिखता है, आवाज उठाता है लेकिन असल में तो वो खुद ही एक गुलाम की तरह जीता है। इस मेल में एक पत्रकार को आफिस से अनुपस्थित रहने के चलते कहा गया है कि उनकी प्रोबेशन वाली नौकरी खत्म की जाती है। मेल में नौकरी ज्वाइन करते समय भरे गए बांड के मुताबिक तय अवधि से पहले सेवा समाप्त होने के कारण कंपनी को 75,000 रुपये हर्जाना देने की बात कही गई है।
रामोजी राव जैसी प्रतिष्ठित मीडिया शख्सियत के नाम से विख्यात ईटीवी ग्रुप में इस तरह की सेवा शर्त न सिर्फ पत्रकारों और पत्रकारिता का अपमान है बल्कि रामोजी राव के दामन को भी दागदार बनाते हैं। हम उम्मीद करते हैं कि ईटीवी ग्रुप बंधुआ मजदूरी की इस प्रथा को जल्द से जल्द खत्म करेगा क्योंकि लोकतंत्र में हर शख्स को बेहतर मौके के लिए एक ग्रुप से दूसरे ग्रुप में ज्वाइन करने का अधिकार है और इस अधिकार को छीनने की कोशिश करना, नौकरी छोड़ने वाले से 75 हजार रुपये की वसूली करना अलोकतांत्रिक और अमानवीय है। संभव है कि ईटीवी के चतुर-चालाक प्रबंधकों ने ज्यादा नंबर पाने के चक्कर में इन मध्यकालीन सेवा शर्तों का निर्माण किया हो और इसकी जानकारी रामोजी राव को न हो। भड़ास4मीडिया के माध्यम से हम सभी पत्रकार रामोजी राव से अनुरोध करते हैं कि वे अमानवीय, उत्पीड़क और अलोकतांत्रिक शर्तों वाले बांड को नए पत्रकारों से भरवाने की प्रथा खत्म करें।
-संपादक, भड़ास4मीडिया
ईटीवी की नौकरी छोड़ने वाले पत्रकार को भेजा गया आधिकारिक पत्र-
Date: 18.05.2009
Regd Post with Ack. Due/E.Mail
To
……..name………
This refers to our Show Cause Notice dated 07.04.2009 directing you to show cause as to why you shall not be discharged from your probationary employment for your unauthorized absence. The said notice sent to your permanent address was returned undelivered with postal endorsement as ‘Addressee left without intimation”. However, a copy of said notice sent to you through your e-mail id was delivered to you on 11.04.2009. Inspite of receipt of the said e-mail message, you have not submitted any explanation to us so far. Hence, we consider that you have no explanation to offer. Therefore, we have decided to discharge you from your probationary employment.
Accordingly, you are here by discharged from your Probationary Employment with immediate effect considering as you have voluntarily left the services of our organization on your own accord, without prejudice to our right to recover the compensation amount of Rs.75,000/- as agreed by you and your surety Mr.Alok Kumar Verma, under the Articles of Agreement.
We, therefore, call upon you and your surety to pay an amount of Rs.75,000/- jointly or severally by way of Demand Draft drawn in favour of Newstoday Private Limited, T.V.Division, payable at Hyderabad within one week of receipt of this letter, failing which we will be constrained to recover the said amount through process of the law.
A GOPALA RAO
DIRECTOR
Copy to Surety:
… With similar request.
ईटीवी में ट्रेनी पद पर नौकरी ज्वाइन करते वक्त ईटीवी प्रबंधन द्वारा भरवाए जाने वाले बांड की नियम-शर्तें–
ARTICLES OF AGREMENT
THESE ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT are made and executed at —– on this the—-day of—— 200—by and between :-
1. M/s —————a Company, registered under the Companies Act 1956 having its Head Office at——— represented by its ———-aged about expression shall unless repugnant to the subject or context shall mean and include its successors in interest administrators assigns etc,
2 —— S/o ———- aged about —– years residing at ——— hereinafter called as the Trainee– which expression shall unless or repugnant to the subject or context shall mean and include his heirs, executors, assigns and representatives etc
3 ————- S/o ———- aged about —– years occupation Service, residing at —– hereinafter called the Surety — which expression shall unless or repugnant to the subject or context shall mean and include his heirs, executors, assigns and representatives etc..
WHEREAS the company herein is engaged, inter-alia, in the activity of collection and dissemination of news all over the world through television network etc..
AND WHEREAS the trainee having applied to the company for being imparted the required on the job training to become a qualified Copy Editor/ Reporter. AND WHEREAS the company had accepted the trainee to impart such on the job training.
AND WHEREAS the trainee, in consideration of the on the job training being sought to be imparted to him by the company, involving huge out lays of expenditure etc.. had agreed to work as Copy editor/ Reporter for the company for a continuous period of three years, including the period of training, on such terms and conditions the company prescribes.
AND WHEREAS the company herein had required the trainee to furnish such surety as is acceptable to them, to guarantee the due performance of the terms and condition contained herein by the trainee. AND WHEREAS the second party of the second part had agreed to be the surety for the due performance and observance of the terms and conditions by the trainee as herein contained, NOW THESE ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT ARE EXECUTED ON THE FOLLOWING :-
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
- The trainee agrees to under go the on the job training for a period of one year from the date of his joining. . The company is at liberty to extend the said period of training by any further period. If the company deems such extension necessary.
- The trainee shall devote his whole attention to the on the job training imparted by attending regularly. The trainee shall use best of his endeavors to imbibe all the necessary skills expected of an highly efficient and competent copy editor/reporter.
- The trainee shall obey all the instruction issued from time to time and shall abide by the rules and regulations of the company without any deviation whatsoever.
- The trainee shall be imparted on the job training by the company or by and other company or entity to which the services of the trainee may be assigned/ lent. In such an event, the trainee has to under go on the job training and follow the instructions issued by the new entity from time to time without any deviation.
- The company shall periodically assess the performance of the trainee. If the company is not in any way satisfied with the performance and conduct of the trainee, the company is entitled to termination the on the job training at any time without assigning any reason whatsoever.
- The trainee agrees and undertakes to complete the period of training, carrying out all the orders and the obligation under this agreement. The trainee undertakes to work thereafter in the company conscientiously and diligently for a continuous period for two years on such terms and conditions as are decided by the company.
- The trainee agrees to duly execute acknowledge and deliver all agreements and/ or other documents at any time in future, as are necessary or expedient in connection with the on the job training.
- If the trainee commits breach of any of the terms and covenants of this agreement or is found not undergoing the on the job training satisfactorily or not attending the work regularly or is found guilty of any misconduct or misbehavior or for any other reasonable cause, the company will be entitled to terminate this agreement and call upon the trainee to pay the compensation agreed herein.
- If the trainee fails to perform any of his obligation under this agreement, the trainee agrees that he shall compensate the company as follows:- i) a sum of Rs.1,00,000/-(Rupees one lakh only) if the trainee fails to perform his/her obligations/promises during the training period of one year. ii) A sum of Rs. 75,000/- (Rupees seventy five thousand only) if the trainee fails to perform his/her obligations/promises during the first year of service after completion of training. iii) A sum of Rs. 50,000/-(Rupees fifty thousand only) if the employee fails to perform his/her obligations/promises during the second year of service after completion of training. Explanation :- Failure to perform his obligations include termination, dismissal or discharge for breach of any of the terms and conditions of this agreement or for any other reason, or breach of any of the rules and regulations of the company, absconding and resignation etc.
- The trainee shall not be deemed to be an employee and the relationship between the company and trainee shall be that of a teacher and student but not that of master and servant.
- It is mutually agreed and declared by the parties to this agreement that the compensation agreed to be paid as aforesaid, in the event of the various contingencies outlined therein, is just fair and reasonable having due regard to the on the job training imparted and the expenditure involved for such training.
- The trainee undertakes to perform and discharge his duties during the training period and thereafter with due diligence and shall not act in any manner so as to cause prejudice to the various varied interest of the company.
- The trainee shall not disclose any confidential that comes his notice either during the period of training or thereafter in whole or in part in any manner ton any person or persons for any purpose whatsoever. The trainee agrees to use best of his efforts to maintain all confidential information in the strictest confidence and to protect the confidentiality of all confidential information.
- In the event any loss or damage is caused to the company by any acts and omissions of the trainee, the company shall be entitled to recover the damage so caused together with interest at 18% p.a. and cost etc. in addition to the compensation mentioned in clause No.9 above.
- The surety undertakes to guarantee the due performance of the terms and condition contained herein by the trainee. In the event of non observance of any of the terms and condition herein by the trainee. The surety undertakes to make good the loss occasioned to the company by such acts and also undertakes to pay the amount of compensation as stated in clause No.9 above. The guarantee furnished by the surety herein shall be irrevocable and continuing and shall not be considered as wholly or partially satisfied by the payment of any money byte trainee unless the the entire amount due to the company are received. Any indulgency, waiver, neglect or forbearance of the company in enforcing the payment of any monies due from the trainee shall not in any way release or discharge the surety of his liability under this agreement. Likewise, the guarantee herein given by the surety shall not be effected by any change in the constitution of the company.
- In the event of any dispute or difference arising under these presents, the courts of Ranga Reddy District, Andhra Pradesh, where the Head Office of the Television Division, M/S News Today Private Limited is situated and from which this agreement emanates, shall alone have jurisdiction exclusively to try the same.
- All notices which a party is required or may desire to serve upon the other under in connection with this agreement may be served, by delivering them personally by fax, e-mail, courier or by registered post at the addresses specified above.
IN WITHNESS WHEREOF
the parties hereto have executed this agreement to constitute a valid and binding agreement between them.
For M/s News Today private Limited
(television Division)
WITNESS
1.
———————-
2. THE COMPANY
——————–
TRAINEE
——————
SURETY
