Sunday, June 27, 2010

ALL INDIA WORKING COMMITTE MEETTING







28 June 2010


The following resolution was adopted on Wage Board Progress:

This meeting of the Central Working Committee of the All India Newspaper Employees Federation (AINEF) held at Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh, notes with satisfaction that the Government of India has extended the tenure of the Wage Boards till 31 December 2010.
Most of the work of the Wage Boards is said to have already been completed and the Government’s earlier moves to appoint a tribunal in place of the wage boards were opposed by newspaper employees all over the country. It was in fact as a result of this opposition and agitation by the workers that the PMO had to intervene in the matter and an understanding was reached agreeable to all concerned.
The AINEF hopes that the wage boards would expedite the work and finish the remaining work in stipulated time frame. The AINEF assures its fullest cooperation to the wage boards and the Government of India in this.

M.L. Talwar,

General Secretary.
AINEF

Friday, June 11, 2010

Wage Boards get extension

The Government extended the tenure of the Majithia wage boards up to the 31 December 2010. A notification has been issued to this effect. The three-year term of the wage had expired on June 23.Newspaper employees sought the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in allowing Justice GR Majithia Wage Board to complete its report at the earliest and submit it to the government. Earlier, the Confederation of Newspapers and News Agencies Employees Organisations on May 22 had warned the Government of a nation-wide agitation from May 24 if no announcement was made regarding extension of wage boards for journalists and non-journalists by that date. This decision was taken during the emergency meeting of the confederation leaders in New Delhi. A mass rally of newspaper workers was held in front of the Labour Ministry offices. The leaders said they
would be left with no other option but to launch a nationwide agitation, if the government
did not give an extension to the existing wage boards till the end of this year. “If the government fails to accept our just demand by May 23, then we would be forced to observe May 24 as a day of betrayal by the UPA government against the interest of newspapers and news agencies employees,” General Secretary of the confederation said.He also said that working journalists would attend PrimeMinister Manmohan Singh’s press conference on May 24 wearing black arm bands and protests would also be held in various state capitals.
The issue of extensions to be given to various wage boards including the Majithia Wage Board came up during Union Cabinet meeting on May 22, but it was deferred after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh apparently asked Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge to speak to the confederation leaders. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika
Soni had said recently that her ministry had already recommended extension to the wage board for journalists and non-journalists (headed by Justice GR Majithia) till December 31 this year.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Monday, May 24, 2010