Majithia Wageboards: PM gives patient hearing to employees

New Delhi, July 1: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today (Jul 1) gave a patient hearing to the newspapers and news agency employees' representatives who urged the government for early implementation of the Wage Boards recommendations.

"I will do my duty," Singh told the representatives of the Confederation of Newspaper and News Agency Employees'' Organisations (CNNAEO) when the delegation requested that a decision on the recommendations pending before his government is not delayed any further, a member of the delegation said after meeting the Prime Minister.

Justice Majithia Wageboards had submitted its report to the government on December 31, 2010 recommending a wage increase that amounts to a mere 3.5 per cent addition to the present wages, a representative of the Confederation said.

After meeting the Prime Minster, Confederation General Secretary MS Yadav said, "The Prime Minister discussed the issue with the representatives for half-an-hour and assured a positive response".

"We have given the detailed data regarding the prosperity of the newspapers and minuscule burden that the wage boards implementation will accrue," he said.

PTI