Media employees’ bill placed in JS

Mass Media Employees (Services Conditions) Bill-2022 was placed in parliament yesterday, which stipulates the job facilities of journalists and employees of media outlets.

The wages and benefits of journalists, employees, and press workers, artists of broadcast, online, and print media outlets would be fixed under the proposed law.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud placed the bill, which was sent to the parliamentary standing committee on the ministry concerned for scrutiny.

The parliamentary watchdog has been asked to submit its report within 60 days.

As per the bill, journalists will be called "media professionals", not "workers".

It also stipulates that the wage board will be applicable for journalists and employees of all media outlets, including print and electronic.

According to the bill, the minimum working hours for media employees will be 48 hours a week. They will be entitled to casual leave of 15 days instead of 10 days. They will earn one day of earned leave for every 11 days of work.

It also says if any journalist or employee works beyond the stipulated time, he or she will be entitled to overtime.

Besides, the journalists and employees will enjoy 10-day festival leave each year, 15-day recreation leave every three years, and six-month maternity leave instead of the existing eight weeks.

If any individual or organisation violates the provisions, she/he/it will be fined Tk 50,000-Tk 5 lakh.

On October 15, 2018, the cabinet cleared the draft of the Mass Media Employees Act (Conditions of Service) at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Under the proposed law, the government will be able to cancel the licence or registration of a media outlet. Media outlet owners will also face punishment for flouting the law.

Once the new law is passed and signed by the president, jobs of media employees will no longer be regulated by the labour law.

Currently, journalists and employees of media outlets are called "workers" under the labour law.

According to the proposed law, the government can constitute wage boards for media professionals. The wage board will fix their salaries and allowances in line with the salary scale of government employees.

Each media outlet will establish a provident fund which will be applicable to a new employee after one year in service. An employee will contribute 8 to 10 percent of his basic salary to the fund, currently 7 percent, and an equal amount will be deposited to the fund by the owner of the media outlet.