iju newsletter_ june 2015

Dear friends,Let me first thank the IJU members for

electing the new team of office-bearersunanimously at the just concluded 8thPlenary Session at Bhubaneshwar. It givesadditional strength to fight to defend therights of the working journalists in thecountry with renewed vigour. We shall beever more vigilant against attacks on the rightof freedom of expression but also physicalattacks on the practitioners of journalism inthe country.

Even before we were back home fromthe Meghalaya High Court on 27 May,restrained the print and electronic mediafrom reporting the statements of certainorganisations calling strikes, bandhs, hartalsetc. The IJU strongly felt that the HighCourt order passed on the plea of theAdvocate General and Director General ofPolice of Meghalaya was an unreasonablerestriction on freedom of the press. At therequest of the IJU, the Press Council of IndiaChairman, Justice C K Prasad decided to filean intervention petition in Meghalaya HighCourt at the next hearing of the case on 10June. All the governments want to controlthe media by hook or by the crook. It is theduty of trade union and professionalorganisations of journalists to be vigilant.

It is gratifying to note that the UnionLabour Minister Bandaru Dattatreyaannounced at our Plenary Session that hewould shortly appoint a central tripartitecommittee to oversee the implementation ofthe Majithia Wage Board recommendationswith representation to the IJU in it. He alsosaid the government would undertake reviewof the provisions of the Working JournalistsAct with a view to strengthen it for thebenefit of working journalists. He also agreedto bring amendments to the WJA to includeelectronic media journalists under its purviewafter discussing the issue with the stakeholders.

After the successful completion of the8th Plenary Session, the leaders andmembers of the IJU and its affiliated stateunions should now concentrate theirattention and efforts to be ever vigilantsentinels of the freedom of the press andwelfare of the working journalists in thecountry. We also have to strive for ethicaljournalism which is as important as anythingelse. For this we need broader unity not onlyamong the working journalists but also withother sections of the working class in thecountry. First let us unite the electronicmedia journalists and technicians with the

journalists and non-journalist employeesof the newspaper industry.

S. N. SINHA

From the PPrreessiiddeenntt''ss ppeenn

Union Lobour Minister Bandaru Dattatreyapromised to set up a central tripartite

Committee at his ministry level to monitor theimplementation of recommendations of theMajithia wage board for working journalists andother newspaper employees in the country.

Addressing the 8th Plenary Session of theIndian Journalists Union (IJU) on second day ofthe two day session heldat Com D S RabindraDoss Nagar, KalingaIndustrial Institute ofTechnology (KIIT)campus, Bhubaneswaron 23-24 May, the Union Labour Minister whoattended the conference as Chief Guest,promised to bring comprehensive changes inthe Working Journalists and Other NewspaperEmployees (Conditions of Service and OtherMiscellaneous Provisions) Act to enhancepunishments to the violators.

Referring to the demand of the Union forthe appointment of tripartite in the place of theofficials committee, he assured that a full

pledged tripartite committee would beconstituted with the representatives ofjournalists unions, the proprietorsand officialsto monitor the implementation of the MajithiaWage Board recommendations. He admittedthat implementation of recommendations bythe managements even after the SupremeCourt upheld their validity in February 2014 was

slow and halfhearted.Dattatreya said the

government woulddecide on bring thejournalists working inelectronic media under

the purview of the Working Journalists Act afterholding discussions with all the stake holders.He admitted that the times had changed andthe working journalists Act should also bebrought in tune with the times.

Stressing the need for free media forfulfilling the aspirations of the people of thecountry, he said the media also changed andinvestigative journalism took roots, which he

FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY HYDERABAD JUNE 2015

IJU 8th Plenary

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Wage Board Implementation

Dattatreya promises to set upCentral Tripartite Panel

Union Minister for Labour Bandaru Dattatreya, Chief Guest at the IJU Plenaryaddressing the biennial conference.

IJU Newsletter JUNE 20152

said, he would welcome. He said the journalistswere standing up and discharging their dutiesdespite pressures from a variety of quarters. “Donot spend your time on investigative journalismall the time, spare some time for developmentjournalism,” he quipped.

He said the people of the country gave amassive mandate to Prime Minister NarendraModi led BJP government and it wasdetermined to live up to the expectations of thepeople. He sought the co-operation of themedia to take message of good things done bythe government to thepeople.

The Odisha Ministerfor Health and Infor-mation and PublicRelations Atanu Sabya-sachi Nayak described journalists as friends,philosophers and guides of the people andcalled upon them to lead the way for asustainable growth of the society by means oftheir mighty pen, social commitment, skill,expertise and interactive communication.

Inaugurating the Plenary Session on 23May, he said the role of media in our society wasso important that it was described as fourthestate or fourth pillar of our democracy.

Calling for positive journalism, the Ministerhe asked journalists not to trivialise matters andtry to show some thing where nothing existed.He urged upon the journalists to giveimportance to issues of public importance.

Odisha Minister for Urban Developmentand Housing Pushpendra Narayana Singh Deo,KIIT Founder Achyuta Samanta, Saroj KumarSamal, MLA, Capt. Dibya Shankar Mishra, MLA.Nilambhar Rath, ETV Odisha and several otherdignitaries graced the Plenary Session and gavetheir messages. �

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The Governor of Odisha S C Jamir described the

independent and unbiasedmedia as the life blood ofthe society and called forfree flow of news and viewswith truth as the bedrock. Addressing theValedictory function of the 8th Plenary Sessionof Indian Journalists Union (IJU) at Com D S Rabindra Doss Nagar, Kalinga IndustrialInstitute of Technology (KIIT) campus,

Bhubaneswar on 24 May,he called on the media toshun sensa-tionalismand avoid telecastingand publishing sensa-tional imagery.

“Sensational journalism makes a mockeryof serious social problems. It needs toexercisecaution and steer away from provocativejournalism. Whether it is a pen or camera, theyare powerful devices focusing on the reality ofthe event" the Governor said.

He said “Mahatma Gandhi, a journalisthimself, cautioned that ‘an uncontrolled penserves but destroy’. Our first Prime Minister

Jawaharlal Nehru warned ‘Ifthere is no responsibilityand no obligation attachedto it, freedom graduallywithers away. This is true ofthe nation’s freedom and it

applies as much to the press as any other group,organisation or individual.”

Saying that journalism was not just anyother profession, Dr. Jamir called for evolving awell-defined and clearly articulated ethicalprinciples in our newsrooms. “Counting ongrand legacy and glorious tradition of Indianjournalism, I am sure that days of goodjournalism are not over despite severalallurements. It is heartening to note that there isa great interest among the youngsters in thisprofession who are full of commitment and weneed to convert their passion to bring inchange,” he asserted.

The Governor lauded the efforts of theIndian Journalists Union (IJU) to safeguardingthe freedom of the press, while fighting for thesafety of journalists and for better living andworking conditions for them. �

Shun sensationalism, Governor Jamir tells media•• Days for good journalism still there•• Nurture young talent among scribes•• Lauds sentinel role of IJU

A view of the IJU leaders and delegates who participated in the two day Plenary of the Union.

Dr. S.C.Jamir, Governor, Odisha addressing the valedictory function of the Plenary of IJU

IJU 8th Plenary


Indian Journalists Union (IJU) President S N Sinha called for a comprehensive law to

govern the living and working conditions ofjournalists in multiple platforms of the media inthe country. Delivering his Presidential addressat the inaugural session of the 8th PlenarySession of the Union held on 23-24 May atRavindra Doss Nagar in KIIM Campus,Bhubaneswar, he said it became imperative thatthe laws which covered only print media, haveto be made inclusive of the TV and electronic,including social media.

Sinha said that in the past seven decades,Indian news media had grown many fold into amighty force but the laws government theworking journalists cover only the print medialeaving others without any legal frame work.

“What we require, therefore, is a legalframework that covers not only the Press butthe entire media. That would require, as a firststep, the constitution of a Media Commission toconsider the role and requirement of the entiremedia and recommend changes required in thelegislation to extend the provisions of theWorking Journalists Act (WJA), including thoseof the wage board machinery, to all mediapersons,” the IJU President said. Intolerance of media criticism

Referring to the increasing intolerance ofmedia criticism by the powers that be, he saidthe very classes who defended the rights of thefourth estate were scared of its freedom andwanted to deprive it of its role in the democraticpolity.

He lauded the stand of the Press Council ofIndia Chairman, Justice C K Prasad who refusedto issue an advisory to the press to block newsregarding the telecast of the BBC documentaryon Nirbhay case, which the union governmentbanned as it felt that, ‘it tarnished the image ofthe country and the Indian society’ and addedthat “the (PCI) chairman undoubtedly did us allproud by refusing to issue such an advisory." Insensitive coverage of Nepal tragedy

The IJU President lauded the brave peopleof Nepal who suffered huge losses of life andproperty butwere up again on their toes even inthe midst of aftershocks to rebuild their land

and life. He said it was natural in suchcalamitous times for all of us to rally to theassistance and support of our Nepalesebrethren and to contribute whatever we couldfor their relief and rehabilitation.

He chided some Indian media personswho brought a bad name to the Indian mediabecause of their insensitive reporting andbehavior during their coverage of theearthquake. He said it was “mainly because ofthe TRP-motivated pressure of some mediamagnates, particularly TV bosses, some of theless-experienced journalists pursued theirroutine technique and failed to appreciate thata human tragedy of such huge dimensions. Hesaid they failed to realise that it was a humanissue first and had to be handled sensitively.“The media should certainly have behaved witha lot more circumspection, sensitivity andresponsibility, in which case our neighbourswould have asked them not to “go back” but to“come again!”, he added.Wage Board recommendations implementation

Sinha expressed deep concern over thetardy implementation of the wage boardrecommendations even after the SupremeCourt upheld its validity and directed itsimplementation in a time frame. He said the

recent direction of the apex court in a contemptpetition by employees Jagran, Eenadu andsome other Groups asking the stategovernments to make a survey of the state ofimplementation of the Majithia Wage Boardrecommendations and report to it by the end ofJuly.

In this context he lauded the efforts of theTribune Employees Union, Chandigarh, in whichthe local IJU leadership is quite active, whosuccessfully negotiated and signed anagreement with their management to transfer210 contract employees to wage board scales.This was first such case involving the reversal ofthe notorious process the employers initiatedto have a compliant Press. MOUs with Sudan and Pakistan Journalists

The IJU President hailed the Memoranda ofUnderstanding (MoUs) the union signed withthe Sudan Journalists Union and PakistanFederal Union of Journalists on mutual co-operation and exchange of information anddelegations. Referring to the appointment ofIJU leaders as Election Observers in the recentlyconcluded National and Presidential electionsin Sudan, he said it showed the prestige andinfluence the IJU enjoyed world over. He said itwould be the endeavour of the Union toexpand relations with journalists Unions inother countries at bilateral level whilestrengthening our role in InternationalFederation of Journalists (IFJ) where our leaderSabina Inderjit got elected for the fifthconsecutive term to the Executive. Solidarity with struggles of working class

Sinha expressed concern over thegovernment’s attempts to dilute the labourlawsin name of ‘ease of business’ by facilitating‘relocation of workers’ an euphemism for largescale retrenchments. He saluted the workingpeople of the country, who displayedexemplary unity in defense of their rights whenall the Central trade unions, including the pro-BJP Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), had firmlyrejected the proposed “labour reforms” anddecided to take joint action in defense of theirrights. He said it was imperative that workingjournalists trade union and professionalmovement should strengthen their own unityand increase their strength to fight for theirrights. �

Sinha calls for single law for the whole Media

The International Federation ofJournalists (IFJ) President Jim Boumelha,greeting the delegates attending the 8thPlenary Session of IJU, said the IFJ and all theglobal family journalists were proud of theachievements of the IJU and its determinationto confront many tough challenges over somany years, and stood up for its members’social and professional rights.

In a message to the Plenary, the IFJPresident lauded the powerful fighting spiritof IJU that made it one of the most consistenttrue voices of journalists in India. Regrettinghis inability to attend the Plenary Session, he

appreciated the IJUrecord on promotingethics and representingjournalists at every level.

“Your plenary istaking place at momentous time forjournalists worldwide, and I hope you willdebate the current crisis that is engulfingjournalism today as employers are reactingeverywhere by cutting back costs andcreating precarious workplaces where thestandards of journalism are in a down spiral,putting pressure on the attachment ofjournalists to ethical principles,” he said. �

IFJ President lauds fighting spirit of IJU

S.N.Sinha, President, IJU delivering the presidential address at the IJU Plenary.

IJU 8th Plenary


The Secretary General of IJU AmarDevulapalli called upon the state unions to

increase their membership so that the IndianJournalists Union could be furtherstrengthened to be the sentinel of freedom ofexpression and a fighting machine for betterliving and working conditions of journalists inthe country. Presenting his report on theactivities of the Union since the last Plenary tothe 8th Plenary Session of the Union held at D S Rabindra Doss Nagar, KIIT Campus,Bhubaneswar on 23-24 May, he said the Unionhad its presence in every nook and corner ofthe country and emerged as the mostrepresentative organisation of thepractitioners of journalism in the country.

He said after the last plenary session,seven state unions had come in to the fold ofthe Union increasing its strength to about 30thousand members. He lamented that themembership of several state unions wasstagnant and the state leaders seemed to havemade no effort to increase their membership.The growth in membership came from thenew unions that joined our fold after theHyderabad Plenary, while the membership ofall most all unions except Andhra Pradesh andTelangana were either static or marginallydeclined. Electronic media journalists

Amar called upon the state unions toconcentrate on mobilizing the workingjournalists in the electronic media in to ourfold. He told the state leaders to amend thebye laws of their unions, if necessary toaccommodate the electronic mediajournalists in the leadership structure at stateand district levels. Muffossil journalists

Amar said no media house in the countrywas paying proper wages to the muffossiljournalists in the country, leave aloneimplementing wage board scalesrecommended by the Majithia Wage Board. Inmost cases in the language media, no wageswere paid. “The rural journalists were beinguse by the media managements not only toreport but also manage circulation andadvertisements.

He said Paid News was another menace.“As you are aware, our union is the first to

expose this scourge. We are doing our best bymoving the statutory authorities like the PressCouncil of India and Election Commission. Wage Board Struggle

He pointed out that even 14 months after adivision bench of Supreme Court headed byChief Justice Sathasivam upheld the validity ofthe Majithia Wage Board recommendations and

directed the managements and the IndianNewspapers Society (INS) to implement thenew pay scales within three months and payarrears in four instalments within one year fromthe date of judgement, very few managementsimplemented the same.

He said some employees of the Jagrangroup and Eenadu group filed a contemptpetition in the Supreme for non-implementation of the wage boardrecommendations. During the hearing on 29April, a division bench of the Supreme Courtdirected all the state governments to conduct asurvey of all newspaper offices in theirrespective states by appointing an officer toknow the state of implementation of the wageboard scales.

Amar alleged that some of themanagements were resorting to contract

employment of journalists to beat theimplementation of the wage board scales.Even newspapers like the Hindu has beenresorting to such tactics. The stategovernments were not pursuing it seriously.He asked the state unions to chalk out anaction program to force the managements tohonour the apex court ruling.

The Secretary General said the union wassuccessfully publishing Newsletter fromHyderabad for the last seven months asdecided by the National Executive Committee.“We have applied for the registration of aregular monthly magazine and the Registrar ofNewspapers in India (RNI) cleared the titleScribes News. We are making arrangements forits publication in next two or three months,”he said.

Amar thanked Dr. AchyutanandaSamanta, the pioneering educationist andfounder of the Kalinga Industrial Institute ofTechnology (KIIT) for giving us the auditoriumto hold our conference and hostel rooms toaccommodate journalist delegates fromdifferent states of the country.

He said the Odisha Journalists Union (OJU)and its President Prabhat Dash deservedappreciation for making excellent arrangementsfor the conference and accommodation for thedelegates. “OJU comrades have over-stretchedthemselves to make our stay here comfortableand our discussions at the Plenary fruitful,” headded. �

Amar calls for widening membership base of Union

D.Amar, Secretary General, IJU addressing the two day IJU Plenary.

GUESTS AT PLENARY AND LEADERS OF IJU ADDRESSING THE DELEGATES

Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Minister for I & PR

Pushpendra Narayana Singh Deo, Minister for Urban Development

K.Amarnath Member PCI

Sabina InderjitVice President, IJU

Prabhat Kumar DashPresident, OJU

Nilambhar Rath ETV Odisha

IJU 8th Plenary


unions to vigorously follow up with theirrespective state government to appointInspectors under the WJA and instruct them tophysically inspect all the newspaperestablishments on the state of implementation

of the wage board recommendations and senda report to the apex court within the stipulatedtime. Appointment of tripartite committees

In a resolution the IJU urged on all theState Governments in the country toimmediately appoint a tripartite committeewith representation to the representativeorganisations of working journalists to overseethe implementation of the recommendationsof the Majithia Wage Board, wherever suchcommittees were not in existence.

The IJU demands that a tripartitecommittee should be appointed by the UnionMinistry of Labour with representation to theall India level working journalistsrepresentative organisations in place of thepresent officials committee to monitor theimplementation of wage boardrecommendations and to take immediatecorrective action. Resolution on Paid News

In a resolution on the menace of ’paidnews’ the IJU called upon the workingjournalists, their organisations, democraticforces and civil society in country to wage arelentless struggle to eradicate the scourge of‘Paid News’ which was eating in to the vitals ofethical journalism and distorting thedemocratic election process.

”We are proud of the fact that the practiceof ‘Paid News’ was first exposed by IJU and itsaffiliate Andhra Pradesh Union of WorkingJournalists (APUWJ) way back in 2009 GeneralElections. Even, the Press Council of India (PCI)

The 8th Plenary Session of the IndianJournalists Union (IJU) meeting at

D S Rabindra Doss Nagar, Kalinga IndustrialInstitute of Technology (KIIT) Campus,Bhubaneswar on 23-24 May stronglydemanded that the Government of Indiashould initiate steps to appoint another wageboards for working journalists and othernewspaper employees in the countryimmediately.

The IJU resolution pointed out that lastwage boards were appointed almost ten yearsago and the pay scales recommended by ithave become obsolete in face of abnormal risein the cost of living. It said the WorkingJournalists Act (WJA) should be immediatelyamended to bring the electronic mediajournalists and other employees under itspurview and the terms of reference of the wageboards should include the working journalistsand other employees of the electronic and webmedia.

The resolution also urged upon the uniongovernment to strengthen the penalprovisions in the WJA to as a deterrent to themedia managements to who blatantly violatethe judgements of the Supreme Court andrefuse to implement the recommendations ofthe wage boards.

IJU said even our in neighbouringPakistan, the Pakistan Federal Union of WorkingJournalists was demanding the appointment ofninth wage board while in India Majithia wageboard was the sixth wage board.

Union called upon the working journalistsin forms of the media including electronic andweb and other media workers to unitedly raisetheir voice for the appointment of the newwage board and be ready to launch a powerfulmovement including direct action, to force thegovernment to heed our demand. SC Verdicts in Wage Board cases Welcomed

In a resolution, the IJU welcomed therecent direction of the Supreme Court to all thestate governments to appoint Inspectors underthe provisions of the Working Journalists Act(WJA) to survey all the newspaperestablishments in their respective states on theimplementation of the the Majithia wageboard recommendations. The apex in adirection issued on 29 April in contemptpetition filed by employees of the Jagarangroup, Eenadu group and some others, told thestate governments to submit a report to itwithin three months.

It may be recalled in a land mark judgmentof the Supreme Court upholding the validity ofthe Majithia Wage Board recommendationsand directed the management to implementrecommendations within three months andpay arrears in four instalments spread over oneyear.

The Plenary called upon all the state

and Parliamentary Standing Committee onMinistry of Information Technologyacknowledges the efforts of the IJU andAPUWJ.” The resolution said.

It noted the work done in this direction byIJU and affiliated unions met with partialsuccess as the managements were finding newways and means to beat the detection of thepractice. The Plenary called upon the workingjournalists in the country to continue the fightin all forums until we are able to stop thisunethical practice. Strengthen WJA, demands IJU

The Plenary. In a resolution hailed thestellar role played by the Working JournalistsAct (WJA) over the past 60 years insafeguarding the freedom of the Press andensuring that the media played its legitimaterole as the ever-vigilant watchdog of thepeople to strengthen the country’s democraticinstitutions.

It recalled that our predecessorsundoubtedly helped put in place an effectivestatute to ensure that the foot soldiers of thefourth estate could act freely and withoutcompromising their conscience. “It has played avital role in the progressive development of astrong, vigilant and vibrant Indian journalism.No wonder the employers have been trying allalong to scuttle its provisions by hook or crookand employ fresh stratagems, like the contractsystem, to deprive the working journalists of astatutorily guaranteed job security and wagesfixed by the wage board machinery and tousurp the freedom of the Press to promotetheir vested interests,” the resolution said.

Noting that the Supreme Court upheld theconstitutional validity of the WJA, the IJU calledupon the Government bring in amendments tothe Working Journalists Act to abolish thecontract employment of working journalistsand to include the journalists and employees ofthe electronic media under its purview. It alsocalled for strengthening its provisions relatingto job security, provide for a permanentstatutory wage revision machinery and put in

IJU demands New Wage Board

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IJU 8th Plenary

K.Sreenivas Reddy, IJU senior leader proposing a resolution in the second day session of the IJU Plenary


place institutional arrangements to ensureimplementation of statutorily-fixed wages andcodified working and service conditions. Thisplenary session of the IJU called upon theGovernment to initiate the process ofstrengthening the WJA by deciding on thechanges required in the Act through directnegotiations with the IJU.EPF decision criticized

In a resolution, the Plenaru criticized thedecision of the Employees Provident FundOrganisation (EPFO) to stop the payment ofinterest on the accounts that remain“inoperative” for more than three years becauseof the non-receipt of their contributions thatare required to be sent by the employers. TheEPFO claims that this has been done todiscourage the employees from keeping theiraccounts inoperative and to encourage themto withdraw their “inoperative” accounts, but ineffect, it amounts to penalizing the employeesfor a crime that they have not committed.

The IJU called upon the EPFO to review itsdecision urgently and withdraw the orders forwithholding the payment of interest on suchaccounts. IJU supports working class struggles

This plenary of IJU wholeheartedlysupported the Central Trade Unions in theircommon struggle of the country’s workingclass against the Government’s ill-advisedmoves to change the national labour lawsagainst the interests of the workers.

“While declaring its firm support to thisstruggle and the unity of the country’s workingclasses, the IJU assures the Central Trade Unionsthat it shall always support their struggles toprotect the interests of the working people,”the resolution said.Calls for unity of all sections of working people

The IJU plenary called broadest possibleunity of all sections of working class includingthe employees to face the challenges posed bythe employers to their lives and welfare.

“Notwithstanding the pious intentionsexpressed by the political class, the employersare doing their utmost to deprive the workingpeople of all the rights and privileges they havewon so far. The situation calls for grandest

possible unity of the entire working class, theIJU therefore, calls upon the entire journalistcommunity to appreciate the need of the hourand get together in support of their cause,” theresolution said 16 resolutions adopted

The Plenary passed in all 16 resolutionsincluding resolution on the muffossiljournalists, another on safety of journalists.OJU hospitality and arrangements lauded

The Odisha Journalists Union and itsPresident Prabhat Dash received a lot praise formaking the stay of the delegates attending the8th Plenary of the IJU comfortable anddeliberations and discussions at the sessionfruitful.

All the speakers from different statesjoined the President and Secretary-General tothank the OJU and its leaders and cadre forstriving to make the plenary a grand success. Demand for Media Commission

The IJU Plenary reiterated its demand forconstitution of a Media Commission to studythe state affairs in the Media in the country. In aresolution, it noted that there was an explosivegrowth of media, following the epoch makingand revolutionary changes in communicationsleading to proliferation of electronic media inthe last two decades, with more than eighthundred 24 hour news channels in the airwavesin the country.

The IJu said. on the other hand, thegovernments were bringing draconian lawscomments like the 66 A of the InformationTechnology Act to reign in unpalatablecomments in the social and internet media. (Itwas struck down by the Supreme Court).

IJU felt that it was right time to have relookat the whole gamut of media including its

ownership, the role of working journalists inprint, electronic and internet media. It calledthe Government of India to immediatelyappoint a Media Commission with terms ofreference covering the media of all types andplatforms and its growth and development. Italso demanded that representation should begiven to representative organisations of theworking journalists in the commission. �

Celebration of Silver Jubilee of IJUThe plenary called upon all the affiliated

State unions to celebrate in a befittingmanner the completion of 25 years offounding of the Indian Journalists Union. Itmay be recalled the first and foundingconference of the Union was held in Ranchi,then in Bihar and now the capital ofJharkhand in December 1989.

The plenary in a resolution said the IJUhad emerged as the most representativeorganisation of the working journalists in thecountry and grew from strength to strengthin the last 25 years. It also emerged as thesentinel of the freedom of expression in thecountry and was recongised as such by theinstitutions of the press in the country andabroad. �

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The Secretary-General of PakistanFederal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) greetedthe 8th Plenary Session of the IndianJournalists Union held at Bhubaneswar on23-24 May.

In a message to the Plenary, first time inthe history of IJU, the Secretary-General ofPFUJ, Amin Yousuf called for closer relationsbetween the two national unions ofneighboring countries to nurture journaliststo journalists relations for mutual benefit inwake of the recently signed MoU betweenthe unions.

He said the PFUJ is constantly workingsince its inception in 1950, for a betterworking environment for Pakistanijournalists and courageously faced majorissues confronting the journalistscommunity, like downsizing the wages,threats to freedom of expression, deadlyattacks on media men and media houses. Hesaid the Union also launched impunitycampaign and on gender oriented matters.

Amin Yousuf said the Union launchedseveral welfare schemes including freeeducation to the children of journalists inseveral educational institutions acrossseveral cities. It is working for establishmentof Press Council of Pakistan, he added.

Wishing the Plenary Session a grandsuccess, he hoped that it would discussissues confronting the journalists and theirprofession and come out with solutions. Hehoped that there would be exchange ofdelegations between the two unions soonfor mutual benefit. �

Pakistani Union greetsthe Plenary Session

IJU leaders felicitating Mr. Achyuta Samanta , Founder of Kalinga Industrial Institute ofTechnology (KIIT) who provided the premises of the institute to host the Plenary.

IJU 8th Plenary

IJU demands New Wage Board


Applying a break to the machinations of thenewspaper barons including Sanjay Gupta

of Jagran Group and Ramoji Rao of Eenadu, theSupreme Court on 29 April directed all the stategovernments to appoint inspectors under theWorking Journalists Act (WJA) to surveywhether newspapers in their respective stateswere implementing the recommendations ofthe Majithia Wage board.

The Court was hearing W.P. (C) No.246/2011, Avishek Raja & Others. Petitioner(s)Versus

Sanjay Gupta, alleged Contemnor/Respondent(s), Contempt Petition (C) No.285/2015 in W.P.(C) No. 246/201, K Anju Kumarand others vs Ramoji Rao and Another and abatch of other petitions.

The Supreme Court bench consisting ofJustice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice N V Ramana,hearing a batch of Contempt of Courtpetitions, angrily told the newspapermanagements that they would not be able todelay implementation of the wage boardrecommendations by retaining highly paidsenior counsels. After hearing the counsel forpetitioners, the court passed the followingorder:

“While keeping these contempt petitionspending we issue the following directions: All the State Governments acting throughtheir respective Chief Secretaries shall, withinfour weeks from today, appoint Inspectorsunder Section 17(b) of the Working Journalistsand Other Newspaper Employees (Conditionsof Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions 7 Act,1955 to determine as to whether the dues andentitlements of all categories of NewspaperEmployees including Journalists under theMajithia Wage Board award has beenimplemented in accordance with the termsthereof. The inspectors appointed by the StateGovernment will naturally exercise their

powers as provided under the Act and shallsubmit their report to this Court through theLabour Commissioners of each State indicatingthe precise findings on the issue indicatedabove. This will be done within a period ofthree months from the date of appointmentunder Section 17(b) of the Act. The cases will belisted again after receipt of the report as abovestated. All contentions with regard tomaintainability of the contempt petitions arekept open.”

The IJU President S N Sinha and Secretary-General Amar Devulapalli requested all theaffiliated State Unions, to urge upon theirrespective state governments to appointInspectors immediately and report to the apexcourt before the end of July. �

Implementation of Majithia wage board recommendations

SC orders states to appoint Inspectors• Calls for report by end of July• IJU urges State Govts. to comply

with the order

The Meghalaya High Court on 27May, restrained the print and

electronic media from reportingthe statements of HynniewtrepNational Liberation Council(HNLC), a banned outfit in thestate, which called for a Bandh inthe state.

Taking an office note on thedisruption of court work due tothe bandh, moved by the RegistrarGeneral of the Court as a writ petition, a benchconsisting of Chief Justice Uma Nath Singh,Justice Nandakumar Singh and Justice S RSendirected that the “statements of HNLC orany organization which may disturb the eventempo of day-to-day public life and causeviolation of Fundamental rights of citizens inparticular under Article 19 and 21 of theConstitution of India relating to strike, Bandh,Hartal, Road Blockade and holding of Rallieswith unlawful design shall not be issued by anyof the print and electronic media.

The order said that in case of violation ofthe court direction, it might not only proceedunder the Contempt of Courts Act, but ‘it is alsodirected State Government to register criminalcases under appropriate provisions of the law’against the media.

It may be noted that the court directioncame after the Advocate General and Director-General of Police, Meghalaya pleaded that thestatements issued by the outfit HNLC bannedby the Tribunal as unlawful assembly weregiven undue publicity and coverage, both inprint and electronic media which, they allegedcreated fear in the mind of common citizens.

The Director General of Police requestedthe court to restrain the media from publishingany such statements of HNLC or any otherorganization which might have the effect ofdisturbing the even tempo of public life in theState.

The Court posted the case for furtherhearing on 10 June. �

Chief Justice UmaNath Singh

Justice NandakumarSingh

Justice S R Sen

Meghalaya HC restrains media reportage on Bandh

Justice RanjanGogoi

Justice N V Ramana

Sanjay Gupta ofJagran Group

ChRamoji Rao ofEenadu Group

PCI decides to interveneThe Press Council of India (PCI) Chairman

Justice C K Prasad decided to file anintervention petition in the case in which theMeghalaya High Court passed restraint orderon reporting the bandh calls given by someorganisations when it would come up hearingon 10 June, at the request of Indian JournalistsUnion (IJU). This was conveyed to the IJUleaders by Justice Prasad telephonically.

Earlier, the Indian journalists Union (IJU)expressed deep concern over the order of theMeghalaya High Court on 27 May restrainingthe media, both print and electronic, frompublishing/ broadcasting the statements ofsome organisations relating to strike, bandhand hartal.

In a letter to the Chairman Press Councilof India (PCI) Justice C K Prasad on 3 June, theUnion President S N Sinha, Secretary-GeneralAmar Devulapalli and PCI member K Amarnath said that the order of theMeghalaya High Court placed unreasonablerestrictions on the editorial discretion of theworking journalists and right of freedom ofexpression exercised by the media on behalfof the common people. �


The Central Returning Officer for IJU elections B S Ramakrishna conducted the elections for theposts of 3 Vice-Presidents, 6 posts of Secretaries, one post of Treasurer and 15 members of the

National Executive Committee on 24 May in the Plenary premises at Rabindra Doss Nagar, KIITCampus, Bhubaneswar.

As there were equal number of nominations for the 3 posts of Vice-Presidents, 6 posts ofSecretaries, one post of Treasurer and 14 nominations for 15 posts of NEC members he declared thefollowing elected unanimously and made an announcement in the Plenary Sesion.

Printed and Published by : Devulapalli Amar, Secretary-General, IJU on behalf of Indian Journalists Union. Secretary-General Office : 5-9-60/B, Deshoddharaka Bhavan, Basheerbagh,Hyderabad - 500 001, Telangana State. Telefax : 040-23232660. Printed at : Sai Likhita Printers, Khairatabad, Hyderabad - 500 004. Ph: 040-6554 5979.

Balwinder Singh Jammu(Punjab)

Secretary

Amar Mohan Prasad(Bihar)

Secretary

Prabhat Kumar Dash(Odisha)Secretary

Dr. D. Sivasankaran(Tamilnadu)

Jayashree Bhattacharya(West Bengal)

Sivendra Narayana Singh(Bihar)

B C Singhal(Uttarakhand)

D Atchuta Rao(Andhra Pradesh)

Geetartha Pathak (Asom)

Vice President

Y Narender Reddy(Telangana)Secretary

Ambati Anjaneyulu(Andhra Pradesh)

Vice President

Prem Nath Bhargava(Delhi)

Treasurer

Sujit Dey (Tripura)

Madhukar(Jharkhand)

Sabina Inderjit (Delhi)

Vice President

V B Rajan (Kerala)Secretary

RatanLuwangaha(Manipur)Secretary

S.N. SinhaPresident

Amar DevulapalliSecretary General

IJU new office-bearers elected unanimously

National Executive Committee Members

M A Majid(Telangana)

S P Gaur (Uttar Pradesh)

R Rajendra (Andhra Pradesh)

David Laitphlang(Meghalaya)

Prabhat Pathak(Asom)

P Bhaskar Reddy(Karnataka)

K Satyanarayana(Telangana)

iju newsletter_ june 2015

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