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Govt forms panel on Wage Board

By The Assam Tribune

GUWAHATI, Aug 23 � The State Government today constituted a joint inspection committee taking representatives of journalists and non-journalists newspaper employees� unions, managements of newspaper houses and officers of State Labour department to ensure implementation of Manisana Singh Wage Board Award.

State Labour Minister Prithvi Majhi today took strong exception to the failure of the newspapers managements, barring one group, in implementing the Manisana Singh Wage Board Award and assured that the State Government will take all possible steps to get the award implemented at the earliest, a press release issued by Journalists� Union of Assam said here today.

Observing the absence of representatives of newspaper managements at a meeting of the Tripartite Committee for implementation of the award at the circuit house here today, the Miniser warned that the government would be compelled to take steps to ensure their participation in the next meeting of the Tripartite Committee.

Addressing the meeting attended by representatives of journalist organisations, Labour department officials and two representatives of newspaper managements, Majhi said that the Joint Inspection Committee will make visits to the newspaper establishments to verify the status of implementation of the award. Among the organisations which attended the Tripartite Committee meeting were Journalists� Union of Assam (JUA), Assam Union of Working Journalists, APCU, Assam Tribune Employees� Union, National Union of Journalists, AAJU and management representatives of the Assam Tribune Group and Dongmusa. The meeting was conducted by the State Labour Commissioner Ganesh Kalita.

The Minister expressed concern at the blatant exploitation of the journalists by the newspaper managements by depriving them of their legitimate rights to the extent of even not issuing appointment letters. �It is an irony that newspapers write about exploitation and corruption while the worst exploitations are taking place inside the newspaper establishments itself�, Majhi lamented.

The Labour Minister rejected the contention of the newspaper managements that they are unable to implement the Manisana Award because of their poor financial status and wondered �How then are new newspapers coming out every day in the State?�

He commended the Assam Tribune Group for implementing the award for the benefit of its employees and sought cooperation of all newspaper managements in implementing the award.

The Minister assured that the Assam Government would write to the Union Government for amending the Working Journalists� Act, 1955 so that the journalists of the visual media can be brought under its purview, the release said.

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