A government gazette on Sunday notified the eighth wage board award raising the wages of journalists and other media employees by 75 per cent on an average.
The highest monthly basic wage has been fixed at Tk 56,875, up from Tk 32,500 and the lowest at Tk 19,938 up from Tk 10,750. Journalists and other media employees have been grouped in 15 categories up from previous nine.
An information ministry handout on Sunday said the wage board award would made effective from September 11.
Meanwhile, the finance ministry has raised government advertisement rates for national dailies and periodicals following requests by the association of newspaper owners NOAB, said ministry officials.
The ad rates have been raised ranging from 66 per cent to 100 per cent for the dailies published from the capital city.
The highest ad rate per column inch has been has fixed at Tk 900, up from Tk 450.
The lowest rate has been fixed at Tk 350 per column inch, up from Tk 210, said the officials.
The ad rates were also revised for the dailies and periodicals published from outside capital.
The information ministry is expected to announce the new rates in a couple of days.
The eighth wage board headed by retired judge Kazi Ebadul Haq was constituted on June 18, 2012.
On June 30, 2013 the wage board recommended 70 per cent wage hike on an average.
However, the government increased the wages by 75 per cent following recommendations from a cabinet committee, according to the gazette.
The cabinet committee, headed by cultural minister Abul Kamal Azad, was formed to review the recommendations of the board.
In October 2012, the wage board declared 50 per cent dearness allowance with retrospective effect from July 2012.
The latest wage board award enhanced certain fringe benefits.
The board recommended cancellation of government’s advertisement benefits if newspapers fail to implement the new award.
It also advised the government not to allow declaration to a newspaper which will appoints an editor having less than 15 years experience as a working journalist.
The previous wage board gave its award in May 2008.
-With New Age input
