Revise 9th wage board: journo leaders

Journalist leaders yesterday demanded publishing of a revised wage board, as the newly-announced ninth wage board curtailed some benefits they were enjoying for decades.

The leaders, a faction of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ), at a rally in front of Jatiya Press Club announced to continue their movement until the government revises the ninth wage board.

In the new wage board, several benefits -- which journalists were enjoying for the last four decades, were cut down, said BFUJ president Ruhul Amin Gazi. He said gratuity has been reduced to one from two. Also, it introduced income tax payment by journalists, which was earlier paid by owners.

He said this wage board has been prepared to protect interests of owners, and not journalists.

Among others, M Abdullah, secretary general of BFUJ; Kader Gani Chowdhury, president of DUJ; Md Shahidul Islam, its general secretary; and Elias Khan of Jatiya Press Club spoke in the rally.