Complaints on big media not paying journalists

(Prakash Silwal)

Spokesperson at Department of Information and Broadcasting (DoIB), Dhruba Kumar Pokhrel, has said the complaints were filed at DoIB that journalists at big media houses were not paid and incentives denied. With this, DoIB will call the concerned media and draw their attention, he added.

Spokesperson Pokhrel further said the complaints have mentioned that some journalists were not paid minimum salary and incentives not provided as per Working Journalists’ Act. Even the appointment letters were not provided in various media.

The DoIB had urged all media houses to ensure the minimum salary increased by 25 percent since October 18, 2018 and the monthly payment via bank.

The State-owned media had implemented the DoIB directive in the very first phase.

Nine journalists with the Nagarik media have recently drawn the attention of the media management on its failure to pay central level journalists for three months and the district reporters for 10 months.

Similarly, journalist associated with Karobar daily, Dharmendra Karna complained that agreement with the Karobar daily management to raise the minimum wage and incentives were not implemented yet.

However, Administrative Chief of TBI Publication which runs the Karobar daily, Bharat Chand, said the process was underway to implement the agreements with working journalists at Karobar daily.