Inu pledges to form new wage board for electronic media

Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu has said a new wage board will be formed to set the new salary structure for broadcast media workers.

The minister made the statement in response to a question during a discussion of the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum at the Secretariat on Tuesday. 

“A separate wage board for the electronic media is among the recommendations in the ninth wage board,” Inu said. 

“Based on the initial plans, the newly elected government and the Ministry of Information will finalise the proposal after the approval of the ninth wage board. We are hoping that a new wage board will be formed for broadcast journalists in the New Year.” 

The cabinet formed a five-member committee on Dec 3 to finalise the ninth wage board and submit a review report by Jan 28, 2019.

The information ministry will help the committee with secretarial assistance. 

Members of the sub-committee held a meeting before the Dec 30 election, Inu said. 

Cabinet Secretary Shafiul Alam had said the wage board formed on Jan 29, 2018 recommended an 80 to 85 percent increase on the basic wages of journalists, a 60 to 65 percent increase in house rent and three festival allowances in a year.  

The recommendations of the committee will be the final decision, according to the cabinet secretary.