Kharge says wage board report sent to PMO

Labour Minister M Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said the recommendations of the wage boards for employees of newspapers and news agencies have been sent to the Prime Minister’s Office and hoped that they would come up before the Cabinet soon.

He said after obtaining the views of various ministries concerned, the wage board’s report had been sent to the Prime Minister’s Office for “processing” and forwarding to the Cabinet.

Mr. Kharge expressed the hope it would come up before the Cabinet soon and said he would pursue the matter with the PMO.

Asked by reporters when the Cabinet would take a decision on it, Mr. Kharge said he couldn’t specify that but added that he has done his job.

Asked if the government was under pressure from newspaper managements, the Minister replied in negative. “That question does not arise”, he said, adding, that the unions and the managements have put forth their views in the report.

Mr. Kharge termed the whole exercise as a “tripartite” kind of an arrangement among trade unions, employers and the Government. “Government’s role here is one of a facilitator,” he said.

The wage boards, under the Chairmanship of Justice (Retd) G.R. Majithia, submitted recommendations to the Government on December 31 last year.