New Delhi: A strong demand for setting up of a new wage board for journalists and non-journalists was made in both Houses of Parliament today (Dec 3, 2004) by Left party members who reminded the Government that seven years have elapsed since the last such board gave its award.

"Even if a new wage board is set up today, it will take two to three years to give its award," CPM (Communist Party of India-Marxist) member P Karunakaran said raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha.

He said that such a board needed to be set up urgently as several employees in the newspaper industry were not getting a fair deal.

Supporting Karunakaran, Kerala Congress member P C Thomas said that journalists and non-journalists needed to be given interim relief. He also wanted journalists working in the visual media to be included in the definition of "working journalists" for the purpose.

In the Rajya Sabha, RSP (Republican Socialist Party) member N K Premchandran raised the issue through special mention. He said that it was the legitimate duty of the Central Government to set up a wage board for journalists and non-journalists in the newspaper industry.

He regretted that there was a proposal on the part of employers and the previous NDA (National Democratic Alliance) Government to do away with the wage board. Several Left party members joined him in pressing the demand.