9 Asar, Kathmandu: The Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) and Minimum Wages Fixation Committee have made it clear that depriving journalists of their salaries and relieving them of jobs during the lockdown period was not acceptable.
At a virtual dialogue on working journalists’ professional security today, FNJ’s Chairman Govinda Acharya and Committee’s Chairman Rajendra Aryal assured the working journalists of justice through pressure and legal remedy if the talks with the media entrepreneurs did not come to fruition. On the occasion, FNJ Chairman Acharya said even protest rallies would be organised in the media houses and sit-in would be staged at the houses of the media entrepreneurs, if needed.
“Our first precondition is journalists’ professional security. We will ensure rights to them,” he added. Acharya shared that journalists working in 12 different media houses were not getting salaries regularly and the media houses were asked over the issue of human resource layoff.
Committee’s Chairman Aryal stated that the situation to wage a struggle to seek salary by the journalists in the 21st century was unfortunate and expressed doubts over the intention of the media entrepreneurs. He also asked the government to recognize the media industry and give re-financing and other subsidies to support the media sector.
Other media practitioners including Hari Govinda Luintel, advocate Swagat Nepal, Nepal National Commission for UNSECO’s Assistant Secretary-General Dr Baburam Adhikari and others expressed concern over the poor status of professional security of working journalists after the outbreak of coronavirus infection, and the subsequent lockdown.
