2-day national meet of Confederation of Newspapers and News Agencies Employees began at Chandigarh University

Chandigarh, December 9, 2017: A two-day national meet of the Confederation of Newspapers and News Agencies Employees began at Chandigarh University, Gharuan, here today. The Chief Minister of Punjab, Capt. Amarinder Singh, inaugurated the session by lighting a ceremonial lamp. The Chief Minister released a souvenir of the Tribune Employees Union. He said media had a big role to play in a democratic setup and biggest challenges are from the social media. While speaking on the freedom of press, he said the previous government did not allow the broadcasting of news channels. But the state government has welcomed new media entrants. The conference is being organized by the Tribune Employees Union.

While welcoming the Chief Minister, Anil Kumar Gupta, president of the Tribune Employees Union apprised about the briefed history of the Tribune Employees Union and origin of The Tribune. He told that the union had got regularized services of more than 200 contract employees.

Mr M.S. Yadav, General Secretary of the confederation, presented the agenda of the meet before the house. He demanded setting up a new wage board for journalists and non-journalists and those working in the electronics medial should also be brought under its purview. Yadav emphasized that contract system should be abolished. The demand for setting up of a media commission was also raised. So that it can look into working conditions of journalists and non-journalists. Mr Balwinder Jammu, general secretary of the union, said media should not get involved in paid news and media’s responsibility is to report news and not to create one.

S.N. Sinha of the IJU said a National Media Safety Act should be made without any further delay. In which for any attack on media should be taken in time bound manner and judgment should come in a year. The Act should cover journalists, all type of media workers and all media organisations.

Mr K.B. Pandit, President of the Indian Journalists Union, Mr Rajinder Prabhu, General Secretary of the National Union of Journalists, Mr Parmanand Pandey, General Secretary of the Indian Federation of Working Journalists, Mr S.C. Sinha of the IJU, Mr Roop Chand, Treasurer of the AINEF, Mr Suresh Akhouri of the IJU and Mr S.D. Thakur, president of the All India Newspaper Employees Federation spoke on various issues.