ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The 8th Wage Board for Newspapers Employees held its first meeting under the Chairmanship of Justice (retd) Hasnat Ahmad Khan in Islamabad on Friday.
In his remarks, the Chairman 8th Wage Board said that after 7th award notified in 2001, no progress was made to announce fresh awards to resolve the issues related to wages.
Justice (retd) Hasnat Ahmad added that the board will import its responsibility in a more neutral and transparent way and will give the award within the stipulated time of 180 days.
Besides the Chairman, the meeting was attended by Bakhtzada Yousafzai (Daily Aaeen Peshawar), Shoaibuddin (Nawa-i-Waqt Group), Nasir Chishti (Jang Workers Union), and the Secretary to the Chairman Wage Board Muhammad Ayaz Khan.
In the meeting following decisions were made:
- The next meeting will be held in Lahore on January 10, 2019
- It was pointed out that a suitable replacement may be given in place of Shafiuddin Ashraf who died recently, in accordance with the prescribed manner preferably before next meeting.
- The Secretary to Chairman Board has been asked to pursue budget related matters of the Board.
- The relevant quarter be asked to make available the record of all the previous awards.
- The members of the Board representing employees may submit charter of their demands/advices in term of section 10 of NECOSA 1973.
- The members representing the employers may highlight the circumstances relating to newspapers industry in different regions to advance their point of view.
- The members representing the employers may be asked and persuaded to attend the next meeting so that the issue between the parties regarding wages be resolved accordingly.
- The members representing the employees may also give their view point in written form supplemented with data on the interim relief.
- The proceedings of the meeting shall be circulated among all members of the board via courier service.
