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.