PFUJ rejects Government stance on Wage Award
By Khalid Amin

ISLAMABAD—Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and All Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confederation (APNEC), have rejected the stance of Information Minister Sherry Rehman on the implementation of the 7th Wage Award and said there is no bar from any court of law against the implementation of the Award.
“There is no bar from the court on the implementation and the newspapers owners has already got all the concessions as per condition for the implementation of the award. The issue of journalists and non-journalists had never been raised when it comes to concessions,” the two apex bodies of the newspapers employees said in a joint statement. Ms Rehman has reportedly stated in her recent statement that the government can not implement the 7th Wage Award as there is a “court stay,” and that the issue could only be resolved through negotiations among all the stakeholders.
“The government had given all concessions to APNS on the condition that they would implement the award and now its their turn. If they don’t implement the award all the concessions be withdrawn,” it said. In the last seven years the rate of government advertisement had been raisedalmost every year on the demand of the APNS, concessions was given in the news print quota, in excise etc. Since the 7th Wage Award was announced in
2001, all those newspapers who implement the Wage Award now become the owners of the tv channels and some of them even owned the FM-radio as well.
“People have right to know how many billion of rupees advertisements had been given to the newspapers and details of other concessions on the condition that they would implement the Wage Award. Its surprising that they are still demanding more while our information minister is looking for excuses in order to dive the unity of the newspapers employees,” it said.
“We will never allow newspapers owners to get away with the seven years arrears of newspapers employees even if it let to unrest in the newspaper industry,” pfuj and apnec warned.
“Its disappointing to see such a statement coming from the minister, who herself remained the supporter of the Wage Award during her journalistic days and now belongs to a party whose founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was responsible for the Newspapers Employees (Condition for Services) Act, 1973,” the two apex bodies of the newspapers employees said in a joint statement. “We expected from her to come out with a statement asking the newspapers owners to implement the 7th Wage Award as they got all the concessions and privileges as prior condition to implement the wage award,” it said. If they have no respect for the resolutions they themselves had moved andpassed unanimously in the National Assembly, Senate, four provincial assemblies followed by the decisions of the federal cabinets, then they should burnt the copies of the resolutions, Newspapers Employees (Condition of Services) Act, 1973.