The central government on Monday took exception to newspaper managements seeking a mandamus from the Supreme Court to the Union Cabinet not to consider the recommendations of the Justice Majithia Wage Board on salary hike and other issues for journalists and non-journalists.
Additional Solicitor-General Parag Tripathi told a Bench of Justices Dalveer Bhandari and Deepak Verma that when the final report was under consideration, it would be premature for the managements to say that the Cabinet should not take a decision on it. He said, “Can a mandamus be issued to the Cabinet not to take a decision on the report?”
Earlier, a battery of senior lawyers led by K.K. Venugopal and Harish Salve assailed the final report. They said “its implementation would result in chaos in the newspaper industry.”
Mr. Venugopal, appearing for the Indian Newspaper Society, said the INS represented over 1,000 newspapers, and “we have challenged the validity of the Act [under which the Wage Board was constituted]. The composition of the board itself had serious fundamental flaws.”
Mr. Salve, appearing for Bennett Coleman Co. Ltd. (publishers of The Times of India and other newspapers), said they were also questioning the validity of the Act. He found fault with the Central government for failing to draw a distinction in the working of the electronic media and the print media and the changes that had taken place the world over. “Let them [the Centre] not implement the final report; otherwise it will create all sorts of problems.”
Senior counsel Colin Gonsalves, appearing for employees' unions, opposed the managements' contentions. He said nothing should be done to prevent the government from notifying the recommendations.
The Bench said it would hear the matter in detail on September 14 to mainly decide on the interim prayer of the managements for a direction to the Central government not to notify the recommendations.
The Central government, in its response to the first petitioner, ABP Pvt. Ltd., publishers of The Telegraph and other newspapers, said the wage structure was determined on the basis of the capacity of the employer to pay. Though the wage board was constituted specifically to fix or revise wages, the wage board, in its wisdom, made recommendations on retirement age and other issues.
Tracing the history of the constitution of various wage boards from time to time, the government said such wage boards could not be considered as unworkable, arbitrary and unreasonable. It rejected the charge that the recommendations of the wage board would infringe the petitioner's right on freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under the Constitution. The apprehensions of the petitioner at this stage were premature and unfounded, it said.
Keywords: journalists pay, Majithia Wage Board
I request the Hon'ble Supreme Court to implement the Wage Board recommendations immediately. This Wage Board has come after 10 years. I also request the Hon'ble Supreme Court to see to it that it is implemented in all the News papers. If a News paper fails to implement the Wage Board's recommendations, ask the Governments (both State and Central Governments) to stop releasing their advertisements.
Even after implementation of wage board there is no hopes each will get the benefit. Already few managements says wage board is meant only for clerical and below staff. In one paper industry, only clerical staff got interim relief and all other left out!! Though all others do the same job because of their designation, the management deprived them of the benefit. What a pity. The govt responsibility is not only notifying the wage board, but its implementation in toto and all eligible employees to get it irrespective of their designations. Wage Board authorities and labour depts should oversee its implementation. Since most of the employees are on contract basis, only 10 percent of the workforce will be benefitted. For 10% the management denies to implement it.
Please implement the wage board recommendation as early as possible, because it was already submitted in the month of Dec-2010. It's took very long time. The wage board recommendations also considerable and reasonable.Board also classified the publications in different groups. As per the news paper management status only implement the wages.Only few publications only oppose the wage board recommendations.our Hon'ble Supreme Court also consider the wage board recommendations and issue the positive decision in this regard.
Implement the wage board recommendations at the earliest. Because it is happening almost after 10 years. Just imagine the cost of prices of essential commodities ten years back and now. What was the cost for a 2 col by 5 col advertisement ten years back. And presently how much you managements are charging. Same way, think about your own staff's payments. Just opposing the recommendations is not at all justifiable. Because we the staff do not know when will be the next wage board formation and further its recommendations. So act fast. Implement fast.
The Newspaper managements instead should trim their work force by giving VRS , as a lot of dead wood, impedements from senior journalists to let the young talent bloom exist in the newspaper industry. There are many in the top editorial who make believe the Editors that the newspaper comes out solely by their individual effort . They ignore the contributions of their juniors and do not give credit .These people fill the ears of Editor , seek unending extentions , favours and pretend as if the newspaper exists by their contribution . Let the newspaper managements tackle this problem first . Let newspaper managements bring good HR reforms like -exit interviews , reward the true talent . After all many work for the zeal of the profession --journalism .
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