Newspaper workers call for Wage Award implementation
By Bakhtawar Mian
ISLAMABAD: Newspaper workers held demonstrations across the country on Saturday in protest against non-implementation of the Seventh Wage Board Award by the employers despite a judgment passed by the Sindh High Court about one and a half months ago in employees’ favour.
Hundreds of workers took part in rallies organised by the All Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confederation (Apnec) and Media Workers Organisation (MWO) in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Multan and Faisalabad.
In Islamabad, Apnec General Secretary Ikram Bukhari and Vice Chairman Siddique Anzer, MWO President Kalim Shamim and Secretary General Raja Javed and leaders of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Tariq Usmani, Raza Ali Kazmi and Khalil Hafez addressed a rally held in front of the Press Information Department and criticised the government for its failure to implement the court’s verdict.
They said that there was no stay order against the SHC verdict in any court of law, but the “champions of democracy” had shown complete apathy towards the implementation of the Wage Award.
They recalled a statement of Information Minister Firdaus Ashiq Awan a few months ago in which she had said that the government would implement the court decision about the Wage Award and quoted her as saying: “Your case is in the court.
Journalists should prevail upon the court to decide the case. The government will implement it.”
They demanded of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to establish the rule of law and play their role in implementation of the SHC judgment.
In Lahore, Apnec Chairman Shafiuddin Ashraf and other union representatives, including Qaisar Chohan, Waheed and Baba Muzamel Gujar, addressed a demonstration and demanded immediate implementation of the Wage Award.
In Karachi, local Apnec leaders Imran Baig, Dara Zafar, Rana Yousaf and Abdullah led a protest rally from the Jang Building to the offices of All Pakistan Newspapers Society.
Protest demonstrations were also held in Peshawar, Quetta, Multan and Faisalabad.
Source: Dawn
Date:7/17/2011
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