(a) whether the Government has constituted any committee to regularly examine and monitor the salaries and allowances of the staff and journalists working for small and big print and electronic media in India;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether any special allowance is given to journalists and photographers for attending to the task involving risk;
(d) if so, the criteria fixed in this regard; and
(e) if not, the reasons therefor?
THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE: MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND MINISTER OF HEAVY INDUSTRIES AND PUBLIC ENTERPRISES
{SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR}
(a) to (e) : The ‘Working Journalists and Other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955’ (WJ Act) provides for the constitution of Wage Board for the purpose of fixing or revising rates of wages in respect of working journalists and non-journalists. Presently, the Majithia Wage Board recommendations are in vogue w.e.f. 11.11.2011. As per the WJ Act, the respective State/UT Government are enjoined to implement these recommendations by every newspaper establishment.
The WJ Act has now been subsumed into the ‘Occupational, Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2019’ which was introduced in Lok Sabha on 23.07.2019. The definition of ‘Working Journalist’ in the said Code includes journalists working in newspaper establishments as well as those working in the electronic media and such other media.
******