9th Wage Board for Journos: HC questions cabinet body recommendations

The High Court yesterday questioned the legality of three recommendations made by the cabinet committee in the 9th wage board, regarding the income tax and gratuity of journalists and employees of newspapers and news agencies.

In the 12th chapter of 9th wage board, the cabinet committee has recommended that they [journalists and employees] will pay their income taxes by themselves, they will get one gratuity per year and decisions of the new wage board may be implemented in phases.

Yesterday, the HC issued a rule asking the respondents to show cause in four weeks why the recommendations should not be declared illegal.

In the rule, the court also asked them to explain why they should not be directed to bring journalists and employees of the electronic media under the wage board.

Secretaries to the ministries of information and labour have been made respondents to the rule, Deputy Attorney General Saifuddin Khaled told The Daily Star.

The HC bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman came up with the rule following a petition filed by Hasan Ferdaus, general secretary of Chattogram Journalist Union, on November 7.

Citing the petition, DAG Saifuddin said according to the previous wage boards, owners will pay income tax of journalists and employees, they will be given two gratuities per year and the recommendations will be implemented immediately.

The three recommendations of the cabinet committee is illogical and contradictory to the recommendations of the wage board, he said.

The petitioner also prayed to the HC to pass an order on the respondents to bring journalists and employees of the electronic media under the wage board.

Advocate Teertha Salil Paul and Advocate Nurul Karim appeared for the petitioner.