The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Barisal Metropolitan Union of Journalists demanded separate wage board for regional newspapers and journalists and hard action against the violators of wage board decision.

BMUJ observed historic May Day by organizing rally and human chain on city roads and holding meeting at Barisal Reporters Unity pressed these demands. Anisur Rahman Swapan, BMUJ president, presided over the meeting and Swapan Khondokar, Kamal Masudur Rahman, Nazrul Biswas, BMUJ secretary, treasurer and member, addressed the gathering.

The speakers said that government often forms wage boards and declares pay scales on papers without any monitoring and compulsion for practically implementing it by the media owners.

So it never favoured the improvement of standard and livelihood of working journalists in regional level, they observed.

The media often described as mirror and consciousness of the society. Nevertheless, the journalists in regional level outside Dhaka is working almost 24 hours a day without any vacation, bit or any extra allowances. Regional journalists are not only deprived from wage board directed salaries and benefits, but even deprived from getting formal appointment letters, the speakers revealed.

Gano Shilpi Sangstha presented songs of May-Day at the end of the BMUJ programme.

Besides BMUJ, the other organisations like Workers Party, Sami Federation, Trade Union Kendro, Nirman Sramik Union, Gano Shilpi Sangshta, held discussion meeting and cultural functions in the city.