Mass Media Employees Bill placed in parliament
Mass Media Employees (Services Conditions) Bill 2022 was placed in parliament today, increasing facilities in jobs for journalists and other employees.
The wages and benefits of journalists, employees and press workers, artists of broadcast, online, and print media outlets would be fixed under the proposed law.
Information and Broadcast Minister Hasam Mahmud placed the bill which was sent to the parliamentary standing committee of the respective ministry for scrutiny of the proposed law.
The parliamentary watchdog was asked to submit its report before the House within 60 days.
As per the bill, journalists will be regarded as media professionals, not as workers.
The wage board will be applicable to journalists and employees of all the media outlets, including print and electronic, as per the Bill.
According to the bill, the working hours for media employees will be 48 hours in a week, while the casual leave will be 15 days instead of 10 days and the earned leave will be 100 days instead of 60 days annually.
If anybody works beyond the stipulated time, he or she will be entitled to overtime pay.
Besides, the festival leave will be 10 days in a year, recreation leave will be 15 days after every three years, and the maternity leave will be six months in place of the existing eight weeks.
If anyone or organisation violates the provisions of the Bill, s/he will be fined Tk 50,000-Tk 5 lakh.
On October 15, 2018, the cabinet cleared the draft "Mass Media Employees Act (Conditions of Service)" at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the secretariat.
The government will be able to cancel the licences or registration of the media. The owners of media outlets will also face punishment for violation of the law.
If anyone or any organisation violates the provisions of the bill, he/she will face a monetary fine or imprisonment, the cabinet secretary said.
Once the new law is passed in parliament, the jobs of media employees will no longer be regulated under the labour law.
Currently, journalists and employees of media houses are regarded as "workers" under the labour law.
Once the law is passed, they will be regarded as media personnel, not workers.
According to the proposed law, a wage board will be formed for the media personnel.
The wage board will fix the salaries and allowances of media personnel in line with the salary scale of the government employees and it will be applicable to the owners of all media outlets.
Every media house will have a provident fund which will be applicable to a new employee after one year in service instead of two years. An employee will contribute eight to 10 percent of his basic salary, currently seven percent, and an equal amount will be deposited in the fund by the owner of the media house, the proposed law stated.