Noab worried over ninth wage board

Newspaper Owners' Association of Bangladesh (Noab) has expressed concern over recent media reports on formation of the Ninth Wage Board.

Only three years have gone by since the Eighth Wage Board Award was implemented in September 2013. In the past, no wage board was announced without a gap of five years. So, it's necessary to analyse the rationale for declaring the Ninth Wage Board before that gap, said a Noab press statement yesterday.

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Besides, annual increment is given to employees, making adjustments to inflation every year. Therefore, formation of the Ninth Wage Board before a gap of five years is not acceptable.

The issue was discussed at Noab's annual general meeting on December 10.

Noab also called for scrutinising and evaluating the implementation of the Eighth Wage Board Award, saying it learnt that many organisations are yet to implement the Seventh Wage Board Award.

Newspapers have many unresolved issues, including structural ones, which need to be solved through discussion.

Besides, the newspaper industry is facing a big crisis. It has to invest also in online media. In addition to that, there are problems relating to tax and VAT, the statement reads.

Noab said it always supports formation of wage board every five years through discussion. Forming an wage board for journalists now is not justifiable.

At the December 10 meeting, Noab President Matiur Rahman mentioned its last year's activities that include holding roundtables on industrial policy, meeting with leaders of advertising agencies, daylong workshop on VAT training, and two meetings with Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu.

Matiur also talked about registration of online news portals.

The meeting was attended also by Noab Vice President AK Azad, executive members Tasmima Hossain, Reazuddin Ahmed, Mahfuz Anam, AHM Moazzem Hossain and Mozammel Huq, and general members ASM Shahidullah Khan Badal, Tarik Sujat, AMM Bahauddin, Altamash Kabir, Naem Nizam, Kazi Anis Ahmed, Dewan Hanif Mahmud and Shamsur Rahman.