BFUJ urges NOAB, BSP to pay arrears of 9th Wage Board Award immediately

Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) has urged the Newspaper Owners' Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) and Bangladesh Sangbadpatra Parishad (BSP) to immediately pay the arrears of the 9th Wage Board Award.

"The government announced the 9th Wage Board Award on September 12, 2019. But NOAB immediately filed a case against the Award though NOAB and BSP leaders participated in preparation of the recommendations for the Award," BFUJ President Omar Faruque and Secretary General Dip Azad today said in a joint statement today (Sept 17).

As the court did not impose any restrictions on the wage board award, there was no obstacle in implementing it, they said, adding that despite repeated requests, the wages of the journalists and employees are not being paid as per the latest wage board award and those remain as arrears.

Noting that journalists and newspaper employees owe approximately Tk 9.0 billion to NOAB members alone, the BFUJ leaders said that they already sent letters to NOAB and BSP with the demand for payment of the arrears.

At present, among different professionals, journalists and employees working at media outlets are most deprived, Omar Faruque and Dip Azad said, adding, therefore, if they get their dues, a little comfort would come to their life.

The BFUJ leaders sought cooperation from the government to realise the just dues of the journalists and newspapers employees.