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FNJ to press for basic pay

KATHMANDU, FEB 08 -
The Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) is all set to press media houses to implement the Working Journalists Regulations and basic salary scheme.

A meeting of the FNJ central members has decided to send official letters to all media houses attaching a copy of the directives issued by the Supreme Court last week, Om Sharma, general secretary of the journalists’ apex body, said. The umbrella organisation of working journalists has decided to press media houses to ensure the minimum salary of journalists as directed by the SC.

Responding to a writ filed by the FNJ, a division bench of SC Justices Girish Chandra Lal and Prakash Wasti had argued that the minimum wage should be implemented in all the media houses in accordance with the recommendation of the Minimum Wage Determination Committee (MWDC).

The government had revised the salary and increased the pay packet by 39 percent in January as per which media houses have to pay at least Rs 10,008 and Rs 7,200 to journalists working in the Kathmandu valley and districts, respectively.

The directive remains unimplemented in 50 percent media houses, the MWDC report reveals. There are more than 850 print media, 350 radio stations, 34 television stations and 500 online media in operation across the country. Though around 8,000 journalists are affiliated with the FNJ, there are more than 14,000 working journalists in the country.



Death threat to journo flayed

KATHMANDU: The Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) has expressed a serious concern over the death threat to journalist Rupa Sharma 'Neha', who is associated with the Metro FM. Issuing a statement on Wednesday, the FNJ demanded the culprit be brought to book to ensure press freedom. The statement, however, does not elaborate on the threat. Sharma, who has been into journalism for over a decade, has received death threat calls for covering news on women's issues.

Posted on: 2012-02-09 09:09

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