Kerala CM urges Centre to release interim relief to scribes

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 4 (UNI) The Kerala Government today urged the Centre to recommend the newly constituted Wage Board Committee to release interim relief to journalists and non-journalists.

In a memorandum submitted to National Wage Board Chairman Justice Narayana Kurup, Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan asked the Centre to favourably consider the recommendations of various unions to release 60 per cent of the basic salary as interim relief, according to a release here.

Stating that the Government would exert pressure on the Centre to ensure better wages and service conditions for journalists and non- journalists working in the visual media, he said the new wage board should also pressurise the Centre on the matter.

Labour and Information departments in the State were extending all possible helps to the working journalists, he said, adding that it had also introduced three kinds of pensions, including a pension for journalists.

Mr Achuthanandan said that for the first time in the country, the State had introduced a new pension scheme for non-journalists, besides implementing a Health Insurance Scheme for Journalists.

UNI