The Working Journalists and Other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955, inter alia, covers under its ambit conditions of employment and regulation of the service conditions of Working Journalists and also for Non-Journalists Newspaper Employees. The Working Journalists and Other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act addresses the issues of hours of work, leave fixation and revising rates of wages which includes the constitution of a Wage Board.

The Employees’ Provident Funds & Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 is applicable to the class of Newspaper establishments from 31.12.1956 and is extended to electronic media companies in the private sector with effect from December, 2007. The employees of these establishments are eligible for social security benefits of the statutory schemes under the Employees’ Provident Funds & Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952.

Print and electronic media persons and journalists who are getting salary up to Rs.21,000/- per month employed in the units/ establishments covered under the ESI Act, 1948 are eligible to avail the benefits provided under the Act as per their entitlements.

Further, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting implements “Journalist Welfare  Scheme” to provide one time ex-gratia relief on urgent basis to journalists or their families under extreme hardship or on account of death of journalists and also to the journalists in case of permanent disability, major ailments and in case of accidents causing serious injuries necessitating hospitalization.

The primary responsibility for implementation of recommendations of the Wage Board lies with the State/UT Governments. The responsibility of the State/UT Governments includes creating special cells, to oversee the progress of implementation of the Wage Board recommendations, to send the Quarterly Progress Report to the Ministry and to gear up the State Labour Enforcement Machinery to ensure speedy and prompt implementation of the recommendations of the Wage Boards. The Ministry has a Central Level Monitoring Committee to oversee the implementation of the Wage Board Recommendations by the States/UTs.

This information was given by Minister of State (I/C) for Labour & Employment Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

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MS/jk