<p>"Today, newspaper employees are together and are capable of strongly opposing the anti-employee policies. We will go on a nation-wide agitation if necessary," the Confederation of Newspaper and News Agency Employees' Organisations said in a statement after holding an emergency meeting on this issue.<br /><br />The Confederation, which is an apex body of the country's five large federations of newspaper and news agency employees organisations, asked the government to ignore the anti-employee suggestions made by INS and immediately notify the recommendations of the Wage Boards and force the newspaper owners to implement the same.<br /><br />The Wage Boards for Working Journalists and Non- Journalists and other newspaper employees had on December 31 last year submitted their report to the Government, recommending 2.5 to 3 times hike in basic pay among other suggestions. The recommendations have been proposed to be implemented from January 8, 2008.<br /><br />Confederation General Secretary M S Yadav said: "Media plays an important role as the fourth pillar of Indian democracy. Therefore, it is necessary that journalists and non-journalist employees are financially independent. In this context, the constitution of Wage Board by the government plays an important role."<br /><br />Yadav said that Confederation has always believed that newspaper owners and their organisation INS runs on a "principle of exploitation" and it was not surprising that the INS has challenged the constitution and recommendations of the Wage Boards.<br />"INS's opposition has made it clear that newspaper owners are against a justified wage structure for their journalists and non-journalist employees," he said.<br /><br />The Confederation criticised INS for their opposition to the Majithia Wage Boards' recommendations after they were submitted to the government.<br /><br />Yadav said that INS should remember that it was also part of the process of finalising the Wage Boards' recommendations and, therefore, it was bound to agree to the recommendations.<br /><br />Today's meeting was attended by National Union of Journalists (I) senior leader Dr N K Trikha, Indian Journalists Union President Suresh Akhouri, All India Newspaper Employees Federation General Secretary Madan Talwar, Federation of PTI Employees' Unions leader Ajay Tyagi and UNI Workers Union President M L Joshi.</p>
<p>"Today, newspaper employees are together and are capable of strongly opposing the anti-employee policies. We will go on a nation-wide agitation if necessary," the Confederation of Newspaper and News Agency Employees' Organisations said in a statement after holding an emergency meeting on this issue.<br /><br />The Confederation, which is an apex body of the country's five large federations of newspaper and news agency employees organisations, asked the government to ignore the anti-employee suggestions made by INS and immediately notify the recommendations of the Wage Boards and force the newspaper owners to implement the same.<br /><br />The Wage Boards for Working Journalists and Non- Journalists and other newspaper employees had on December 31 last year submitted their report to the Government, recommending 2.5 to 3 times hike in basic pay among other suggestions. The recommendations have been proposed to be implemented from January 8, 2008.<br /><br />Confederation General Secretary M S Yadav said: "Media plays an important role as the fourth pillar of Indian democracy. Therefore, it is necessary that journalists and non-journalist employees are financially independent. In this context, the constitution of Wage Board by the government plays an important role."<br /><br />Yadav said that Confederation has always believed that newspaper owners and their organisation INS runs on a "principle of exploitation" and it was not surprising that the INS has challenged the constitution and recommendations of the Wage Boards.<br />"INS's opposition has made it clear that newspaper owners are against a justified wage structure for their journalists and non-journalist employees," he said.<br /><br />The Confederation criticised INS for their opposition to the Majithia Wage Boards' recommendations after they were submitted to the government.<br /><br />Yadav said that INS should remember that it was also part of the process of finalising the Wage Boards' recommendations and, therefore, it was bound to agree to the recommendations.<br /><br />Today's meeting was attended by National Union of Journalists (I) senior leader Dr N K Trikha, Indian Journalists Union President Suresh Akhouri, All India Newspaper Employees Federation General Secretary Madan Talwar, Federation of PTI Employees' Unions leader Ajay Tyagi and UNI Workers Union President M L Joshi.</p>