The Union Government has notified the final recommendations of the R. K. Manisana Wage Boards for journalists and non journalists.
The Government accepted the recommendations with the following modifications.
1. Dearness Allowance shall be given on the basis of All India Consumer Price Index (AICPI) as against the regional CPI recommended by the Wage Boards;
3. The rates of House Rent Allowance for classes VI to IX of newspaper establishments shall be fixed at the level as recommended by the Wage Boards or the one the employee is drawing, whichever is higher. (The Wage Boards had recommended fixed amount of rents for these classes);
4. Leave Travel Allowance shall be determined on. the actual basic pay instead of the minimum of the pay scale recommended by the Wage Boards;
5. The part-time correspondent/photographer shall not be paid less than 50% of basic pay applicable to regular full-time correspondent/photographer if he is working at district headquarters or above and one third of the wages if he is working below district level subject to the condition that he shall not work for more than two newspapers in the first case and not more that three newspapers in the second case. (The Wage Boards had recommended at least 40% of the wages for district headquarters and above and at least one third of the Wages for the others subject to the condition that no part time correspondent/photographer shall work for more than two newspaper establishments.)
6. The Scanner Operators shall be placed in Grade 3A along with Planners and Proof Readers in the working journalists category. The Wage Boards had placed them in non journalists category as factory staff;
7. The rates of increment shall be the same for journalists and non-journalists having comparable basic pay, as against lower increment rates for journalists recommended by the Wage Boards;
9. The. payment of arrears shall be made in 18 months in three equal instalments in blocks of six months each. The Wage Boards had recommended payment of arrears in 30 months in three equal instalments in blocks of 10 months each.
2.. The rates of neutralization dearness allowance have been enhanced as under:-
Basic pay | Percentage of neutralisation | |
Recommendations of the Wage Boards | As Notified | |
Up to Rs. 5000 | 100 | 100 |
Rs..5001 to Rs. 7000 | 80 | 80 |
Rs. 7001 to Rs. 9500 | 60 | 70 |
Rs. 9501 to Rs. 12500 | 45 | 60 |
Above Rs. 12500 | 40 | 50 |