Second annual CNNAEO meet begins

Hyderabad, Nov 25: The second annual conference of the Confederation of Newspaper and News Agency Employees Organisations (CNNAEO) began here today with participants taking an oath to launch a struggle to press for the constitution of a new wage board.

Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker K R Suresh Reddy inaugurated the two-day conference being attended by over 150 delegates from across the country and hosted by Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists.

Saying the states were not fulfilling their duty to ensure the implementation of the wage board recommendations, Mr Reddy said the rural journlaists were the worst-affected.

Noting that the conditon of rural journalists, who not only collected advertisements but also contributed articles to the newspapers, was pitiable, the Speaker assured the mediapersons that he would ensure the State Assembly Committee to inspect the newspaper offices in the state to check for any violation of labour laws by the managements.

According to CNNAEO leaders, a new wage board had not been set up since the last board submitted its report ten years ago despite assurances from those in power. Carrying banners and placards, the participants later held a rally near the Fateh Maidan.

The Confederation leaders also objected to the contract system in the newspaper industry saying it had put the employees under pressure.

Indian Journalist Union (IJU) President Suresh Akhouri, IJU Secretary General Srinivas Reddy, Federation of PTI Employees Unions General M S Yadav addressed the rally.

UNI