Government on Wednesday said it will implement the recommendations of the Majithia Wage Boards for journalists and non-journalists as soon as it gets a direction from the Supreme Court.
“Government is not going back. We are not shirking our responsibility. We will take all measures to implement” recommendations of Wage Boards for Working Journalists and non—Journalist in Newspaper and News Agency Employees, Labour and Employment Minister Mallikarjun Kharge told Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour, he said the matter was pending before Supreme Court. “Government is interested to implement as soon as we get direction from Supreme Court.”
He said though the two-week bar by the Supreme Court against implementing the wage board recommendations had expired, the Additional Solicitor General has advised that the government refrain from taking a decision till the next date of hearing on the matter.
“As soon as we get the order, we are ready to implement Justice Majithia committee recommendation,” he said.
The Supreme Court had on July 18 asked the central government not to go ahead with the implementation of the recommendations of Justice Majathia Wage Boards for the next two weeks.
The direction was issued in the course of the hearing of a petition by the Anandabazar Patrika media group, which had challenged the recommendations.
Raising the question, MP Achuthan (CPI) said arguments against wage board recommendations were “unjustified and without basis.”
The last wage board for journalists and non-journalists was implemented 12 years ago and there was no justification for delay in implementation of the Majithia committee report, he said.
“Government’s intention is good and wants to implement this report. The matter is, however, pending in Supreme Court.
We will try to implement it as soon as possible,” Mr. Kharge said.
