Wage Board for journalists, non-journalists soon-Fernandes

New Delhi, Apr 25 (UNI) The government would soon constitute a Wage Board for Newspaper and News Industry Employees, Union Labour Minister Oscar Fernandes said today.

''The Wage Board will be constituted in a few days without any further delay,'' Mr Fernandes told mediapersons here.

''The government had already approved the constitution of two Wage Boards, one for working journalists and the other for non-journalist Newspaper Employees,'' the Minister said.

This had been approved in accordance with Section 9 and 13(C) of working journalists and other newspaper employees (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955, he added.

Mr Fernandes also discussed the agenda of the two day Indian Labour Conference beginning at Vigyan Bhawan on April 27.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would inaugurate the Conference, which would discuss strengthening of Labour Laws and its effective implementation to prevent violations, Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, Contract Labour (R and A) Act, 1970 and measures to improve employability of youth.

Dr Singh would also give away the Prime Minister's Shram Awards to as many as 45 workers in different categories from Public and private sectors.

Earlier, Labour Secretary Sudha Pillai had said that the 41st Conference was in continuation with tradition, which has held about 40 sessions so far. The objective of the conference is to push forward the agenda of social partners.

It was equally important to protect workers' interests especially when the country had achieved a high growth in the manufacturing and service sectors.

UNI