Cabinet OKs new wages for scribes

NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet approved the recommendations of the Majithia Wage Board providing for an increase in the salaries and allowances of journalists and non-journalists.
The decision was met with “grave apprehension” by the Indian Newspaper Society. INS president Ashish Bagga said that democracy was “under threat of losing its well nurtured fabric of plurality of ownership and the situation created by the government's decision will throw up a clear and imminent possibility of consolidating media power in the hands of a few.”
Bagga cautioned that the financial impact of implementing the recommendations may lead to the closure of a majority of small and medium newspaper publications across the country as the proposed wage hike was very high and beyond the capacity of the industry.
“It is indeed unfortunate that the INS’ request for re-examination of the flawed and one-sided report has not been considered by the government,” a press statement issued by INS said. It added that many aspects of the Wage Board recommendations were already before the Supreme Court and now fresh petitions might be added to them.