Narayana Kurup Wage Board begins wage revision process for journos

New Delhi, June 30 (UNI) The recently-constituted Wage Board for Working Journalists and Non-Journalists employees of Newspapers and News Agencies held its first meeting here today, setting in motion the process of wage revision in the print media.

The meeting, chaired by Wage Board Chairman Justice Dr K Narayana Kurup, decided to send notices to workers unions and newspaper establishments seeking their views in writing.

As per the Working Journalists Act of 1955, sending notices is the first step towards initiation of the process.

Dr Kurup told UNI that the next meeting would be held in Cochin in the first week of August. ''We will submit the report as soon as possible, though the time given for the purpose is three years,'' he said.

Justice Narayana Kurup wage board is the sixth in the series since the first Divatia Wage Board was constituted in May 1956. The fifth wage board headed by Justice Manisana Singh submitted its report on July 25, 2000.

''The fact that no wage board has been set up or constituted for any other industry after 1966 except for sugar industry shows the concern of the government for the print media which plays a vital role in moulding public opinion and is one of the great powers of the 20th century and of today,'' Dr Kurup said, addressing the first meeting held at the ''Kerala House'' here.

Justice Kurup said the general wage structure had at best reached the lower level of fair wage, though some employers were paying much higher wages than the general level ''like the honeycomb which overflows with its own sweetness.'' UNI