Ctg editors demand separate wage board
Editors of major dailies published from the port city of Chittagong demanded lifting of the link between newsprint import and advertisement rates and implementation of the wage board award.
They raised the issue at a meeting with Information Minister Abul Kalam Azad yesterday at his secretariat office while discussing major problems that the industry in the port city is suffering from.
Editor of the daily Azadi MA Malek led a six-member group. They said the linking of wage board award with newspaper import or government advertisement rates are not supportive to the growth of newspaper industry.
Even if the government remains committed to wage board award, they said it should offer a separate wage board for newspapers throughout the country.
Newspapers in the districts should have also their in-house advantage of fixing wages for newsmen and employees, they said.
Moreover, their union activities should remain confined to each newspaper, it should not be intra-industry basis, they said.
The information minister listened to their views and said he would try to take care of their concerns and find solutions of the legitimate demands under the existing rule of law.
He said newspapers can work as an effective bridge between the government and people and the new administration is committed to work with the industry and provide all support to help it grow.
Editor of daily Purbakun Taslim Uddin Chowdhury, editor of daily Karnaphuli Alhaj Absar Uddin Chowdhury, editor of daily Bir Chottagram Manch Syed Omar Faruq, editor of daily Suprobhat Bangladesh Rousseau Mahmud and editor of daily People's View Osman Ghani Mansur were on the team.
They went to see the minister to apprise him of the condition that the newspaper industry in the port city is through and seek his support to overcome snags.
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