EMN
KOHIMA, FEBRUARY 22
The state government-constituted Tripartite Committee for implementation of the recommendations of the Majithia Wage Board for working journalists and non-journalists newspaper employees in Nagaland held its first sitting on Monday at the Directorate of Labour, Kohima.
The committee consists of representatives of the state government, the newspaper managements and the working journalists/non-working journalists.
Parliamentary secretary for Labour & Employment, Mmhonlumo Kikon, who is also the chairman of the committee, presided over the meeting while the state Labour Commissioner, Nungshiyanger Aier briefed the house about the background of the Majithia Wage Board and its recommendations.
Committee members acknowledged that the implementation of the wage board will be for the betterment of not just journalists and non-journalists working in media houses but also for the standard of journalism in Nagaland. Members other than the state government representatives underscored that the state government must sincerely execute its part in the implementation of the recommendations.
They also cited that for the media houses to adopt the revised scale of wages and variable pay as recommended by the wage board, the state government must in its part ensure several factors which were rather overlooked in the past such as subsidies and timely release of payment for government advertisement bills etc.
Meanwhile, the newspaper managements have been asked to furnish their register of employees, both working journalists and non-journalists, and submit to the Labour department by March 3.
Besides the chairman and member secretary, committee members who attended the meeting today included representatives of the government from Labour & Employment, Justice & Law and Information & Public Relations departments; representatives (proprietors) of newspaper management from Nagaland Post, Eastern Mirror, Morung Express, Tir Yimyim and Nagamese Khobor; and representatives of working journalists & non-journalist employees from Nagaland Press Association, Kohima Press Club and Mokokchung Press Club.
