The cabinet on Monday formed a committee to review recommendations of the 8th Wage Board that proposed increased pay structures for journalists and press workers.
The information ministry placed a draft gazette on the 8th Wage Board award at the weekly cabinet meeting for approval with the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, in the chair at the Prime Minister’s Office.
‘The six-member committee led by cultural affairs minister Abul Kalam Azad has been asked to report in a month for implementation of the new wage structures for journalists and employees of the newspaper industry,’ cabinet division’s additional secretary Khandaker Md Iftekhar Haider told a briefing after the meeting.
The 8th Wage Board had recommended 70 per cent increase on an average in one’s basic wage under the 7th Wage Board for journalists and employees of newspapers and news agencies in 15 grades, he said adding that there were nine grades under the existing system.
The highest basic pay had been proposed to be Tk 55,850 from Tk 34,850 and the lowest to be Tk 5,615 from Tk 37,00 as per the 8th Wage Board recommendations with which the cabinet had agreed, the additional secretary said.
Replying to a question he said, the cabinet would give the final approval to the revised wage structures after getting the report of the cabinet committee that includes as members the home minister, the communications minister, the information minister, the environment minister and the state minister for works.
Chairman of the wage board, Kazi Ebadul Haque, handed over the recommendations to the information minister on June 30, also proposing an increase in house rent by 70 per cent of one’s basic pay.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on July 27 said that the gazette notification on the increased wage structures for journalists and workers of the press would be issued soon.
-With New Age input
