Srinagar, 14 Oct.: Jammu and Kashmir government’s labor commission yesterday came up with recommendations for the revised daily wages for skilled, un-skilled and other categories of workers in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, but the fresh recommendations do not find any mention of Journalists or other media persons. Department has even forgot to mention the Majithia wage board recommendations for Journalists in the freshly made recommendations.
While working journalists fume over the fresh recommendations of the labor department, the authorities in the department blame Journalists for not coming forward with their grievances.
“Labor department has always sidelined the media fraternity while making any recommendations for the working class especially the Skilled workers” Azhar a Srinagar based Journalist told the Daily Heaven Mail.
“There are only one or two media organizations which pay employees provident fund (EPF) to its employees and rest of the media houses have always turned a blind eye to the demands of the working journalists”, he added.
Rehmatullah Rouniyal, one of the senior most journalists of the UT says that Under provisions of Working Journalists and Other Newspaper Employees (Condition of services) Act 1955, last wage board under Justice(Rtd.) Majithia was constituted in 2007 which gave its recommendations in 2011.But in Jammu and Kashmir only two or three newspapers implemented it. Sadly enough, the working journalists with local publications didn’t take any interest in highlighting their own issues.
The question now is, if Majithia wage board has recommended many incentives for the journalists and other news paper employees, besides good salary and Job guarantee, Why has labor department failed in implementing the recommendations?.
Journalists working with different media organizations are afraid of asking for incentives as most of the newspaper owners warn them of the consequences and the labor department has also closed its eyes on the plight of journalists. The result is a big chunk of journalists working with the local newspapers is leading a miserable life and nobody seems to bother.
Labor commissioner Kashmir, Ab Rashid War while talking to the Daily Heaven Mail said that the aggrieved media persons should come forward with their grievances and labor department will act saying that the department cannot go from home to home to see who is being duly paid and who not.
“Journalists are covered under Majithia wage Board recommendations and if any journalist has a grievance, he should come forward”, War said.
