New Delhi: Months ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, the Narendra Modi government has decided to expand the definition of journalists. The Union information and broadcasting ministry has proposed to include scribes working for radio, television news channels and newspaper websites as journalists under the draft Labour Code on Occupational Safety Health and Working Conditions 2018, being prepared by the Labour and Employment ministry. While the government has acceded the long-pending demand of electronic media media persons to be included in the definition of working journalists. Interestingly, digital media scribes have been kept out of the ambit of proposed classification.
It is understood that thousands of people employed in the electronic media industry would benefit by the government’s decision to broaden the definition of journalists.
The I&B ministry is soon expected to submit its recommendations which would be put forth before the Union council of ministers for its approval, sources added.
The labour ministry had sought the I&B ministry’s views as it is currently preparing a draft Labour Code on Occupational Safety Health and Working Conditions -2018. The code aims to amalgamate existing 13 labour laws relating to safety and health standards, health and working conditions, welfare provision for employees and leave and hours of work. The three laws pertaining to the I&B ministry that have been proposed to be amalgamated are the Working Journalist and Other Newspaper Employees (condition of services and misc. provision) Act 1955, the Working Journalists (fixation of rates of wages) Act 1958 and the Cine Workers and Cinema Theatre Workers Act 1981.
Over the past several years scribes working for radio and electronic media had been demanding for being recognised as working journalists. Sources stated that employees would now have better protection in their professional life as they would be recognised by the law. This recognition is also expected to help enable these in securing media accreditation and various other benefits being provided for by government and other agencies. However, the proposed rules again overlook the long pending demand of digital media scribes for recognition as journalists.
