Journalists Union of Sikkim (JUS), an affiliate of IJU has elected a new executive body at its annual general meeting held at Press Club of Sikkim, Gangtok on 20 December, 2018. The IJU Vice President Geetartha Pathak was its Chief Guest.
The Union members discussed at length the implementation of Majhithia Wage Board recommendations for journalists and other newspaper workers. Countering the argument of the newspaper managements that they are not in a position to bear the additional financial burden as all the newspapers in the state are small and medium and their revenue earned is low, the union leaders pointed out that the Wage Board has classified newspapers in different classes based on their revenue and fixed the salary slab accordingly. They said it would not be difficult for them to implement the recommendations.
The members also said that since the minimum wages for skilled labour in the state is not less than Rs 800 per day, the salary of journalists should not be less than Rs 24000 per month. However, they are getting far less salary than the minimum wages fixed for the skilled labour by the state government, they noted. The meeting also decided to take up activities for the protection of press freedom and to solve the problems of working journalists in the state.
They also decided to synchronise their activities with Press Club of Sikkim. Joseph Lepcha, President of Press Club of Sikkim explained the activities of the JUS in the state during last year. He said that JUS would take a proactive role in activating the Northeast India Federation of Journalists, an IJU affiliated umbrella organization of journalists unions of Northeast. JUS members expressed their deep concern at the increasing attacks on journalists and freedom of expression in the country. They urged the Sikkim government to enact a law in line with Maharashtra for safeguarding the media persons.
Meeting at Kalimgpong
IJU Vice President Geetartha Pathak met the leaders of Eastern Himalayan Journalists Union, a recognized body of journalists of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), West Bengal at Kalingpong and took stock of the situation there.
