The apex body for employees of newspapers and news agencies on Tuesday welcomed the government’s approval to recommendations of the Majithia Wage Boards providing for an increase in the salaries and allowances of journalists and non-journalists.
The Confederation of Newspaper and News Agency Employees’ Organisations (CNNAEO), that spearheaded the nationwide stir for notification of the Wage Boards reports, thanked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for the Union Cabinet decision which will benefit more than 40,000 newspaper employees.
CNNAEO general secretary M.S. Yadav said in a statement, “Though the decision (to approve Majithia Wage Boards) has come after 10 months of submission of the report, we appreciate the pro-worker stand of the government.”
The CNNAEO leaders also extended thanks to the Left parties, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Samajwadi Party, the Janata Dal (United) and workers’ organisations including the All India Trade Union Congress, the Indian National Trade Union Congress, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, the Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh and the Railways Workers’ Union for extending support to the mediapersons’ agitation for the Wage Boards from time to time.
Mr. Yadav, however, said the confederation would give detailed reaction only after the notification of the Wage Boards recommendations.
The CNNAEO general secretary appealed to newspapers which are opposing wage revision for the employees of media organisations to end their opposition to wage revision for journalists and non-journalists and implement the recommendations after the notification.
Besides Mr. Yadav, CNNAEO leaders including Indian Journalists Union’s Suresh Akhauri, National Union of Journalists (India)’s senior leader N.K. Trikha, All India Newspaper Employees Federation general secretary Madan Talwar, Indian Federation of Working Journalists general secretary Parmanand Pandey and UNI Workers Union leader M.L. Joshi have guided the agitation for Wage Boards from the beginning.
