India delaying announcement of wage increase for newspaper workers
Thousands of journalists and non-journalists today staged a demonstration in front of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's residence here demanding immediate interim relief and threatened a nationwide agitation if a notification in this regard was not issued by October 10.
All national federations, trade unions and local unions affiliated to the newspaper industry took part in the rally held under the aegis of the Confederation of Newspaper and News Agency Employees' Organisations. Chanting slogans against the government, they decried the delay in announcement of the interim relief and asked the government to act fast in the matter.
Addressing the rally, Confederation leaders said the government was delaying the announcement of interim relief due to pressure from newspaper owners. Demanding 40 per cent interim relief, the Confederation leaders said if the government failed to issue a notification in this regard by October 10, employees of the newspaper industry would launch a country-wide agitation. They said soaring prices of essential commodities had hit hard the common people, including employees of the newspaper industry.
Addressing the rally, Confederation general secretary M S Yadav said "the delay in the announcement of interim relief shows the government is buckling under the pressure of newspaper owners." The Centre had recently implemented the report of the Sixth Pay Commission for its employees but was doing nothing for the journalistic community, he said.
Senior Congress leader Motilal Vora met the Confederation leaders and assured them that he would take up the matter with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Labour Minister. Journalists and non-journalists from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal also took part in the rally.
Among others who addressed the rally were AINEF vice-president Santosh Kumar, Bennet Coleman Employees Union General Secretary Roop Chand, AINEF Treasurer Madan Talwar, former NUJ (I) president N K Trikha, UNI general secretary Rajesh Verma, Tribune Employees' Union president Balbir Singh Zhandu, IJU president Suresh Akhouri and leaders of the Federation of PTI Employees' Union.
K.L. Kapur
General Secretary
AINEF