(a)the details of statutes governing the working conditions including salary, perks etc. of the journalists in the country;
(b)the mechanism put in place by the Government to ensure its strict compliance across the country;
(c)whether the print and electronic media persons and journalists are covered under the Minimum Wages Act, Provident Fund, ESI pension scheme(s) and Social Security Schemes; and
(d)if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?
MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)
(a)& (b): The Working Journalists and Other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955, inter alia, covers under its ambit conditions of employment of working journalists for improvement and regulation of the service conditions of Working Journalists and also for Non-Journalists Newspaper Employees.
Contd..2/-
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The Working Journalists Act addresses the issues of hours of work, leave fixation and revising rates of wages which includes the constitution of a Wage Board. The Working Journalists Act also provides for the Board so established to provide its recommendations and defines the powers and procedure of the Board. It also gives the Central Government powers to enforce the recommendations of the Wage Board.
The primary responsibility for implementation of recommendations lies with the State Governments/UTs. The responsibility of the State Governments include creating special cells, to oversee the progress of implementation of Wage Board recommendations, to send the Quarterly Progress Report to the Ministry and to gear up the State Labour Enforcement Machinery to ensure speedy and prompt implementation of the recommendations of the Wage Boards. The Ministry has a Central Level Monitoring Committee to oversee the implementation of Wage Board Recommendations by the States.
(c) & (d): The news paper establishments and Electronic Media Companies in private sector are covered under Employees’ Provident Funds & Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952. The employees working in these establishments are entitled to social security benefits in the form of Provident Fund, Pension and Deposit-Linked Insurance under provisions of the Act and the Schemes framed thereunder. Moreover, print and electronic media persons and journalists who are getting salary up to Rs. 21,000/- per month and employed in the units/establishments covered under the ESI Act, 1948 are coverable under the Act. After coverage, insured persons are eligible to avail the benefits provided under the Act as per their entitlement.
Further, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting implements “Journalist Welfare Scheme” to provide one time ex-gratia relief on urgent basis to journalists or their families under extreme hardship or on account of death of journalists and also to the journalists in case of permanent disability, major ailments and in case of accidents causing serious injuries necessitating hospitalization.
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