The Chittagong Union of Journalists (CUJ) in a grand protest rally on Saturday placed 10-point charter of demands including implementation of the 8th Wage Board Award for journalists and newspaper employees and announcement of separate wage board for the television journalists.
The rally also demanded payment of salaries and festival bonuses for journalists and newspaper employees by September 30, otherwise they would go for tougher programme from October 1. The protest rally was held in front of Chittagong Press Club (CPC) to press home the demand for implementation of the 8th Wage Board Award. President of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul attended the rally as the chief guest. Addressing the rally, the journalist leaders warned that they would launch tougher programmes including hunger strike, work abstention and siege programme from October 15 if their demands are not met by the stipulated time.
Their demands include- implementation of the agreement signed between the CUJ and newspaper owners , issuance of appointment letters and identity cards for journalists, introduction of annual increment and provident fund and payment of salaries within seven working days of the next month. BFUJ president Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul urged the newspaper owners to ensure permanent system of employment for the journalists instead of consolidated salary. “It is unfortunate that you are not providing permanent employment to the journalists while you are making permanent earning by using the signboard of journalism”, he said adding that otherwise the journalist community would force the government to stop import of the duty free newsprint, government advertisements and other privileges to the newspaper owners.
