** New pay structure would be given from April 2014
** The employer will have to pay arrears within a year in 4 instalments.
The
Supreme Court recently upheld the recommendations of 6th (Majithia) Wage Board
for journalists and non-journalists on their pay structure and directed that
the revised salaries be granted to the employees.
A Bench
headed by Chief Justice Mr. P. Sathasivam said that the revised pay structure
should be given to the employees from November 11, 2011, when the Central Govt.
notified the recommendations of the Board.
It said
that new pay structure would be given from April 2014 and the employer will
have to pay arrears within a year in 4 instalments.
“We hold
that the recommendations are valid,” the bench said, adding that the Wage Board
had followed proper procedures in giving its recommendations and the
allegations levelled against it and its constitution are not right.
The Bench
dismissed the pleas filed by various newspaper managements challenging the
validity of the Board’s constitution & its recommendations.
The petitioners included Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd (publisher of The Times of India), ABP Pvt. Ltd (publisher of Anandabazar Patrika) and the Indian Newspaper Society (INS), among others.
“We are
fully satisfied that the procedure adopted by the Journalists Wage Board is
legitimate and no decision was taken unilaterally and arbitrarily and there is
no irregularity in the procedure, the bench said.
The Bench
also said that the recommendations by the Board regarding variable pay is also
within its jurisdiction.
“It can
not be held that wage structure is unreasonable,” it said.
The apex
court in January, 2014 had reserved its verdict on the pleas of the newspapers.
The
Majithia Wage Board was constituted by the Labour Ministry in 2007 despite
strong reservations from the newspaper industry, and thereafter announced an adhoc interim relief of 30%of basic pay with effect from January 2008. This was
implemented by the industry despite the heavy financial burden.
The Wage
Board submitted its final recommendations on December 31, 2010, which were
notified by the Centre with certain modifications, a year later on November 11,
2011.
Under the Working Journalists and other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955, the Union government through the ministry of labour in November 2011 notified recommendations increasing the salaries paid to all staff.
The latest Majithia wage board recommended that salaries be increased, in some cases to 200% of prevailing levels, causing an uproar from publishers and prompting many newspaper firms to challenge the implementation of the wage board in the Supreme Court.
The Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) welcomed the judgement. “It is a step in the right direction. We hope that the INS and all other news publications are helpful in implementing this judgement. We call for vigilance by all state unions for the same,” said S.K Pandey, general secretary of DUJ
Wage Board for Working Journalists
MINISTRY OF LABOUR & EMPLOYMENT
WAGE BOARD DIVISION
Subjects
1. Payment of Bonus Act, 1965; and
2. Working Journalists and Other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955
LIST OF OFFICERS
S.
No
|
Designation
|
Name
|
Tel. No.
|
E-mail
| |
1.
|
Principal Labour & Employment Advisor
|
Shri P.P. Mitra
|
|
ppmitra@nic.in
| |
2.
|
Deputy Director General
|
Shri D. Chaudhuri
|
23710222
|
debasish.chadhuri@nic.in
| |
4.
|
Under Secretary
|
Shri Samir Kumar Das
|
23473325
| ||
3.
|
Section Officer
|
Smt. Pushpa Kain
|
23473307
|
kain.pushpa@nic.in
|
For more details
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