Commission calls for new laws to protect journos: Recommends risk allowance, pension

Staff Reporter :

The Labour Reforms Commission has recommended several key measures to improve the welfare of journalists, including the introduction of risk allowances, insurance, and pensions.

The commission, led by Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, Executive Director of the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS), submitted its report to Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus on Monday at the state guesthouse Jamuna.

In its recommendations, the commission called for the establishment of a separate law, or the addition of a new chapter to the existing labour law, to cover all media workers. This law would build upon the Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1974, but with an expanded definition of “newspaper workers” to include media workers in online, radio, and television platforms.

The commission also proposed that appointment letters be made mandatory for all journalists, alongside the implementation of specific working hours, holiday entitlements, and maternity leave for female journalists.

Furthermore, it recommended the official recognition of photojournalists and the requirement for media owners to submit monthly wage records to the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments to ensure regular salary payments.

Another significant proposal was the reform of the Journalist Welfare Trust to enable it to better serve the needs of journalists.
These recommendations aim to strengthen the rights and security of journalists in Bangladesh, ensuring that media workers receive fair treatment and adequate protection in their professional roles.