Journalist orgs demand changes to the Mass Media Employees bill

Leaders of different journalist organisations today demanded to bring several changes in the much debated "Mass Media Employees (Services Conditions) Bill" including dropping the provision of setting up a mass media court to turn the proposed law journalist-friendly.

Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ), Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), Television Camera Journalists Association (TCJA), Dhaka Sub Editors Council, and Barisal Journalist Union (BJU) came up with the demand while handing over a set of proposals to Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud at his office to bring change in the proposed law.

BFUJ President Omar Faruk, Secretary General Dip Azad, DUJ President Sohel Haider Chowdhury, General Secretary Aktar Hossain, DRU President Nazrul Islam Mithu, TCJA President Mahbub Alam, General Secretary Shahidul Haq Jibon, Dhaka Sub Editors Council General Secretary Abul Hasan and BJU President Swapan Khandkar were present.

Incorporating all the proposals, the journalist leaders placed those to the minister as a new draft of the bill.

According to the proposals, the journalist leaders proposed to drop the provision of setting up a mass media court for settlement of any dispute between the owner of media and media employees.

Instead, they suggested that all disputes will be settled in the existing labour court.

Talking to The Daily Star, Dip Azad said, "In another proposal, we have proposed to drop the provision of formation of mass media workers welfare association. Instead, we have demanded to include the provision of forming a trade union."

In the proposal, journalist leaders proposed to reduce the minimum weekly hours to 40 from 48 as mentioned in the proposed law.

They also proposed two weekly days off instead of existing one day.

The journalist leaders also proposed to introduce a pension programme if any media employees work in an organization for ten years.

They also made some other proposals which include increasing of allowance for media employees for overtime and raising the age limit to 67 for retirement.

Hasan Mahmud assured the journalist leaders that the ministry will submit the proposal to the parliamentary standing committee on the information and broadcasting ministry for its consideration.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud had placed the bill in parliament on March 28.

The bill was later sent to the parliamentary standing committee on the information ministry for scrutiny and report back to parliament.

Various journalists organisations and owners association, and Transparency International Bangladesh have seriously opposed various sections of the proposed law.