ZCZC
BSS-43
WAGE-BOARD-GAZETTE
Journalists seek PM’s intervention for 9th wage board award
DHAKA, Aug 7, 2019 (BSS) – Ten professional bodies of journalists, including Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ), today demanded the government to immediately publish the gazette of the ninth wage board award for journalists.
In a joint statement, leaders of 10 journalists’ unions criticised the Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh (Noab) for challenging the legality of the ninth wage board award. The High Court, following a writ petition, yesterday ordered a status quo for two months on publication of the gazette notification of the award.
Terming the writ petition a cowardly act, they said when the journalist community was waiting for the gazette publication, Noab filed a writ petition before the High Court to delay its realisation.
In the present situation, the journalist leaders sought Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s intervention.
Journalists expected to get salary and bonus ahead of Eid-ul-Azha as per the award, they said, but Noab is now plotting to deprive journalists of getting festival bonus as per the award.
The award was decided at a tri-partite meeting chaired by Road Transport and Bridges Minister and head of the Wage Board Cabinet Committee Obaidul Quader in the chair where Noab president and Prothom Alo editor Motiur Rahman and its vice president AK Azad were present, they said.
The BFUJ will stage a demonstration in front of Jatiya Press Club at 11 am tomorrow demanding immediate publication of the gazette, while its associate bodies will hold similar rallies across the country.
BSS/PR/KC/MRI/KU/1943 HRS