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New Delhi, Aug 3
The Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) on Monday appealed to Members of Parliament across party lines to take up a seven-point charter of demands during the ongoing Monsoon Session, seeking urgent intervention to address the worsening crisis in the media industry, strengthen labour rights and ensure protection for journalists.
In a memorandum addressed to all MPs, the union said the media sector and the working class were facing severe economic distress in the aftermath of the conflict in West Asia, rising inflation, job losses and increasing attacks on democratic rights.
The DUJ urged the Centre to announce a Media Relief Package and a Wage Protection Fund for media workers, stating that higher fuel, newsprint and production costs, shrinking advertisement revenue and large-scale retrenchments had adversely affected print, television, digital and allied media sectors.
It also sought the immediate constitution of a Media Commission, a long-pending demand that had earlier received support from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting, to examine the problems confronting journalism and journalists.
The union called for the enactment of a comprehensive Central law for the protection of journalists, citing an increase in physical assaults, arrests, FIRs, digital harassment and corporate pressure on media professionals.
It urged Parliament to consider a Journalists Protection Act based on the recommendations of the Press Council of India and the Law Commission, with provisions for criminalising attacks on journalists, ensuring time-bound investigations and protecting confidential sources.
Another major demand was the reinstatement and expansion of the Working Journalists and Other Newspaper Employees Act, 1955. The DUJ alleged that several media organisations, including Sahara Group, United News of India (UNI) and India Today Group, had been involved in retrenchments and delays in payment of salaries, provident fund and gratuity. It said the law should be expanded to cover journalists working in print, television, digital, OTT and freelance media.
The union also demanded the establishment of a tribunal to recover dues from defaulting media organisations and sought restoration of the legal enforceability of Wage Board recommendations.
Referring to the Majithia Wage Board, it said many implementation cases remained pending even after several years and urged the government to provide interim relief since no new wage board had been constituted for over 15 years.
The DUJ further called for the repeal of the four Labour Codes, alleging that they had weakened workers’ rights, encouraged contractual employment and undermined trade unions.
It demanded restoration of the earlier labour laws and tripartite consultations with trade unions before introducing any new legislation.
Expressing concern over restrictions on trade union activities and protests, the union sought legislation guaranteeing automatic recognition of trade unions and protection of the right to peaceful protest under Article 19(1) of the Constitution. It also condemned what it described as police action against protesting workers and journalists in the National Capital Region.
The memorandum also sought a comprehensive social security framework for journalists and media workers, including a pension scheme modelled on the Kerala government’s programme and a fully funded group risk insurance cover for journalists working in conflict zones, disaster areas and other hazardous assignments.
It further demanded that government press accreditation be extended to journalists engaged in professional work through established social media platforms.
Among its other demands, the DUJ urged the government to restore rail travel concessions for accredited journalists, saying the concession had recognised the public service role of the profession and facilitated reporting across the country.
Describing the media as the “fourth pillar of democracy”, the union said the sector was facing both economic and physical challenges and appealed to MPs to raise the issues in both Houses of Parliament through debates, calling attention motions and other parliamentary interventions during the current session.
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