Jaipur, April. 30 (PTI): The confederation of newspapers and news agency organisations, an umbrella organisation of apex media trade unions, today asked the Centre to immediately announce setting up of the new wage boards for journalists and non-journalist employees in the newspaper industry and said it would draw up an agitation plan soon.
Addressing the valedictory session of the two-day meeting of confederation's AGM here, its General Secretary M S Yadav appealed to all journalists and non-journalist employees to close ranks and join its crusade for their rights.
"We are demanding our rights under the working journalist act, which makes it mandatory for the government to set up such wage boards from time to time withing three years but a decade has passed. We are not seeking any mercy," Yadav said.
Indian Journalists Union (IJU) President Suresh Akhouri demanded that both the IJU and the Federation of PTI Employees' Unions be given representation in the new wage boards as these were the main constituents of the confederation.
Akhouri also demanded that the wage boards be given a specific time-frame to submit its report to the Union Labour Ministry.
President of National Union of Journalists (India) N K Trikha said if the Central Government did not set up the wage boards, the confederation's executive body would meet in Delhi shortly to decide an agitation programme.
Trikha said the unions affiliated to the confederation would hold a protest during the upcoming session of Parliament beginning May 10.
