Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said the announcement of the 8th wage board for journalists before Eid is unlikely as the information ministry could not prepare it for cabinet’s approval.
The 8th wage board has been formed and the process to implement it is on, she said while delivering her speech at an iftar party arranged by Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) at the Jatiya Press Club.
“We’ve the desire to implement the wage board before Eid, and the Information Ministry is trying hard to that end. But I can’t assure you because there’s only one cabinet meeting left before the Eid,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said if the Information Ministry can prepare the proposal and place it before the cabinet, then the government could declare the wage board for the journalists.
“Or else, we’ll announce it as soon as possible,” she said.
Earlier, the information minister had told the journalists that the government would declare the wage board before Eid.
Meanwhile, the board formed to commend a new wage structure for the newspaper industry has recommended 70 percent hike in basic salaries of the journalists.
Justice Kazi Ebadul Haque, chairman of the 8th wage board, submitted the proposal to information minister Hasanul Haq Inu on June 30.
The government on June 18 last year constituted the 8th wage board to suggest the enhanced wages and benefits for the media people, reports UNB.