Govt urged to implement minimum wage for journos

KATHMANDU: Minister for Information and Communications Minendra Rijal has been urged to help enforce the minimum wage provision for journalists, employees and workers associated with media as recommended by the Minimum Wages Fixation Committee.

A delegation led by newly appointed Chairman of the Committee, Poshan KC, called on Minister Rijal and made a request towards this end on Sunday.

The Committee has fixed Rs 19,500 as minimum wage for working journalists while Rs 14,400 in case of other employees and workers in the media.

Likewise, Rs 14,100 has been proposed for the employees while Rs 12,500 for the workers at media institutes. In case of stringers, 50 per cent increment has been recommended in regular payment.

On the occasion, Minister Rijal said the Ministry is making preparations for implementation of the Committee recommendations, pledging full support from the government towards that end.

The newly elected Chairman KC apprised the Minister of Committee’s future plans.

The delegation comprised Ministry's Joint Secretary and Committee member Kabiraj Khanal, Director General of Department of Information and Committee member-secretary Laxmi Bilash Koirala, and committee members Nirmala Acharya, Nim Bahadur Budhathoki, Iftikhar Hussain, Khadka Bahadur Bista and Leela Ballav Ghimire.