The Newspaper Owners Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) has laid emphasis on a discussion between the owners and journalists and reaching a consensus before announcing the 9th wage-board award for journalists and employees of newspapers.
In a statement the NOAB said the 9th Wage-board committee recommended 85 per cent pay hike for journalists, implementation of which is not possible at all.
Previously, the 7th and 8th wage-boards also recommended 89.6 per cent and 75 per cent hikes in basic pay respectively, said the statement, issued on Wednesday by NOAB President Matiur Rahman following a recent meeting of its executive committee in Dhaka.
As a result, only a few newspapers could implement the pay hike, it added.
The NOAB in its statement said the newspaper industry is now passing through worse time.
It said the wage-board committee is only concentrating on the pay issue instead of considering the opinions of the owners of newspapers.
As a result, the newspaper industry is becoming sick, the statement said.
If any 'unrealistic' pay hike is announced, it would force many newspapers to cut their manpower or avoid implementing the wage-board award or go for partial implementation of it, it said.
Eventually it would threaten closure of many newspaper outlets, the NOAB warned.
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