Congress takes up Working Journalists Act at Zero Hour

Congress raised the issue of re-amendment of Working Journalists and other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955 on Wednesday in the Lok Sabha during Zero Hour.

The party’s MP from Kerala KV Thomas mentioned that journalists of ‘New Media’ should be also included. According to the existing law, the term ‘Newspaper Employees’ refers to all working journalists, and includes any other person employed to do any work in or in relation to any newspaper establishment who (a) has been in continuous service whether before or after the commencement of this Act for not less than three years in any newspaper establishment and (i) his/her services are terminated by the employer in relation to that newspaper establishment for any reason whatsoever, other than a punishment inflicted by way of disciplinary action or (ii) he/she retires from services on reaching the age of superannuation; or (b) any working journalist who has been in continuous service whether before or after the commencement of this Act for not less than 10 years in any newspaper establishment and he/she voluntarily resigns on or after the first day of July 1961 from services in that newspaper establishment on any ground whatsoever other than on the ground of conscience; or (c) any working journalist who has been in continuous service whether before or after the commencement of this Act for not less than three years in any newspaper establishment and he/she voluntarily resigned on or after the first day of July 1961, from services in that newspaper establishment on any ground whatsoever other than on the ground of conscience; or (d) any working journalist who dies while he/she is in service in any newspaper establishment.