ISLAMABAD: The Wage Board has announced an interim relief for newspaper employees ranging between Rs5,000 and Rs8,500 per month.

According to a press release issued by the office of the Wage Board Chairman, the fourth meeting of the Eighth Wage Board was held under the chairmanship of Justice Hasnat Ahmed Khan on Tuesday.

The other participants were Hameed Haroon, President of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Sarmad Ali, APNS General Secretary, Mujeebur Rehman Shami of Daily Pakistan, Nasir Chishti (Jang), Bakhtzada Yousafzai (Aeen), Shoaibud Din, Mohammad Nawaz Raza and Shahzada Zulfiqar of different factions of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, and Waseem Abbas, secretary of the Wage Board.

The press release said: “After a long and lengthy discussion both the parties [employees’ representatives and employers] agreed for passing of unanimous interim award in the wages of newspaper employees in terms of section 16 of the Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1973”.

For all newspapers in category Metropolitan A, the interim relief will be Rs8,500 per month for employees in Special Grade and above, Rs6,500 for Grade I to IV and Rs5,000 for Grade V to VIII.

“The decision of interim increase in wages shall take effect from Feb 1, 2019,” the press release said. “The rate of interim increase in wages of newspaper employees as a result of above consensus will be subject to adjustment in the final award of the Board.”

It further said “all newspapers will pay interim relief by adjustment of any exiting bilateral interim reliefs or provisional payments designed to adjust interim relief and the balances, if any, will be paid as required.

“In case the relief already granted by the newspaper establishments, covered by this interim award / decision, is in excess of the relief granted hereby, the said establishments shall continue to pay the said excess interim relief in future irrespective of the instant interim award,” it added.

According to Justice Hasnat Ahmed Khan, the Chairman, the award of the Seventh Wage Board shall remain in force till announcement of the Eighth Award.

He linked the release of government advertisements to newspapers with implementation of the Wage Board’s decision.

Justice Khan recommended to the federal and provincial governments to “increase the basic advertisement rates in accordance with the increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate”.

The chairman “strongly recommended the payment of outstanding dues of advertisements to newspaper establishments by the federal and provincial governments in accordance with rules before the end of the current fiscal year”.

The next meeting of the board will be held in Quetta on April 19.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2019