Chandy hopes media organisations will implement wage board pay scale

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Instructions have been given to the Enforcement wing of State Labour Department to monitor whether newspaper organisations implement the new pay scales recommended by the Majithia Wage Board set up for employees of Newspapers and News Agencies, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy informed the Assembly today.
Expressing the hope that media organisations would implement the recommendations, Chandy said, if necessary, the government would hold talks with newspaper managements.


Taking up the issue as a submission in the assembly, V S Sunil Kumar (CPI) said media organisations should implement the recommendations of the Board, which has come after a gap of 12 years.


Quoting Union Labour Minister Mallikarjuna Kharge's statement that state governments should ensure that media organisations implement the new scales in their respective states, Sunil Kumar wanted Chandy to make sure that media organisations in the state implement the new pay scales.


Meanwhile, employees of newspapers and news agencies took out a march to the assembly demanding immediate implementation of the wage board recommendations.


The march was jointly organised by Kerala Union of Working Journalists and Kerala Newspaper Employees Federation.
Addressing the march, senior BJP leader O Rajagopal extended his party's support to the journalists strike.