Statement of Noab condemned

Leaders of journalists, press workers and employees associations yesterday strongly protested and condemned the statement of Newspaper Owners' Association of Bangladesh (Noab) that urged the government to reconsider the formation of the eighth wage board.
"Forming a new wage board three and a half years after the seventh wage board award will put the newspaper industry into a big crisis," Noab said in a statement on Monday, urging the government to reconsider the matter.
But the leaders of the associations described the Noab statement as a "violation of related laws and also a punishable offence," said a press release of Bangladesh Sangbadik Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad (SSKOP).
Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ), Bangladesh Sangbadpatra Press Sramik Federation and Bangladesh Sangbadpatra Karmachari Federation, that are members of SSKOP, jointly made the call on the Noab.
Under the 1974 law, seven wage boards have been formed so far and implementation of wage board is mandatory, the journalist leaders said, adding that the owners' association in the past was compelled to implement the wage boards after losing legal battles.
The prime minister has announced the formation of the eighth wage board realising the rationale for the salary increase of the journalists, press workers and employees of the industry.
Noab's statement opposing the decision is "unacceptable and motivated" at a time when appointment of the board chairman has been finalised and BFUJ, Sramik Federation and Karmachari Federation have sent the list of their representatives to the board.
"Taking a stance against the formation of the eighth wage board is a violation of the prime minister's clear direction and it goes against the interest of the journalists and all those working in the industry," the statement said.
Journalist leaders urged the Noab to send their representatives to the wage board instead of opposing it.
The statement was signed by Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Ruhul Amin Gazi, Abdul Jalil Bhuyian, Shawkat Mahmud, Omar Faruque, Abdus Shahid, Shaban Mahmud, Baker Hossain, Matiur Rahman Talukdar, Khairul Islam, Alamgir Hossain Khan and Kamal Uddin.