KARACHI: Working Journalists, proofreaders, calligraphists and other workers of the newspaper industry all over the country will go on an indefinite strike from 6 a.m. today [April 15] to press the acceptance of their demands as contained in the PFUJ’s charter of demands. The strike begins after the completion of the 21-day strike notice served on the APNS last month.

Working journalists all over the country held meetings throughout the day yesterday giving final touches to their strike arrangements. The meetings were addressed by the representatives of the other categories of newspaper employees who are also proceeding on strike. Last minute efforts were made by both parties to avert the situation but failed because according to the Federal Union of Journalists the APNS refused to negotiate the settlement with the PFUJ on a collective basis. This is the first indefinite strike on an all-Pakistan basis by the working Journalists since independence, on the issues of wages.

[Meanwhile, as reported by an agency in Lahore,] The Joint Action Committee of Punjab Union of Journalists, Pakistan Khushnavees Union and the Lahore Proof Readers (Working Journalists) Union has appealed to the general public to boycott those daily newspapers which are brought out by managements in a bid to sabotage the struggle of newspaper industry workers.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2020