19 June 2004	Saturday	30 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

KARACHI, June 18: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists in a statement has again regretted the delay in implementation of the Seventh Wage Board award for newspaper workers.

The PFUJ pointed out that the wage board was set up under the Newspaper Employees Act, 1973, which was approved in the National Assembly, and its award was announced almost three years ago.

But newspapers had put off its implementation and deprived workers of their "just economic rights". In spite of this, the legislative assemblies in all the four provinces had passed resolutions in favour of the award and asked that issuance of government advertisements should be linked with the award's implementation.

Referring to an advertisement published by the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) in Friday's newspapers, the PFUJ statement termed its contents "misleading" by describing an increase in newspaper workers wages as a hindrance to freedom of the press.

The statement referred to the fact the Supreme Court had already rejected the constitutional petition filed by newspaper owners, in which it was asserted that the wage board award for newspaper workers was a violation of basic rights.

The PFUJ said that the standpoint of the APNS that "the implementation of the wage award for newspaper workers would help the government in suppression of the press" was untenable.