Scribes Union observe Demands Day, plea CM on wages

The Andhra Pradesh Working Journalists Federation on Thursday demanded early implementation of the Justice Gurubux Matijia Wage Board recommendations so that justice could be done to the Journalists and non-Journalists in the country.

This demand came in the form of a memorandum to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and a copy to Labour Minister Danam Nagender submitted today.

The APWJF pointed out that journalists from across the country were responding to the call given by the National Alliance of Journalists on March 17 to press the Union Government for early notification of Justice Gurubux Matijia Wage Board for working journalists and non-journalists.

The memorandum pointed out that Thursday is being observed as ‘Demands Day’ by APWJF which premier federation of working and an affiliate of NAJ in the state. The APWJF represent print and electronic media apart from news agencies from across the state.

Apart from the early notification of the justice GR Matijia Wage Board recommendations with retrospective effect from 2008, the other main demands are the constitution of a Media Council by amending the Press Council Act and extending the working Journalists Act to the entire media industry to ensure fair wages to journalists and press workers.

The APWJF also demanded that the government constitute a media development Corporation to help small and medium newspapers and news agencies.

The memorandum, submitted by APWJF president SM Hashim, general-secretary G Anjaneyulu and secretary P Shankar, urged the Chief Minister to use his good offices with the Union Government and convey the feelings of thousands of journalists who are agitating for the notification of the new wage board recommendation.

The scribes said that the implementation was long overdue and sought the Chief Minister to ensure that the union government would act fast in processing the final report which will be presented to the Union Cabinet for a final decision.