KURUKSHETRA, JAN 31: The Working Journalists' Act will be amended to make it more suitable to the fast-changing media scenario in the country. The `contractual system' introduced in the newspaper world recently, is a step in the direction of the system of bonded-labour.While observing these charges and concerted views in the inaugural session of a two-day National executive meeting of the National Union of Journalists (India), in the senate hall of the Kurukshetra University yesterday, the Union Labour Minister, Satya Narain Jatia, told the NUJ(I) office-bearers to send the draft, suggesting appropriate amendments in the Working Journalists' Act to the Labour Ministry.Jatia, strongly favoured the idea of setting up a National commission for Journalists. Expressing his hope that the Manisana Wage Board for the Journalists and other newspaper employees would submit its report soon, Jatia claimed that his ministry would concentrate on setting up a monitoring machinery for the timely implementation of the wage boards' recommendations.Speaking on the occasion, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, M.L.Ranga urged the Journalists to work in the National interest and write towards creating a positive National character.NUJ(I)presidentN.K.Trikha, regretted that some of the newspaper managements had devalued the status of Editors and other Journalists and converted newspapers from editorial ventures to `commercial commodities.'Nearly 50 NUJ(I) delegates from across the country participated in the two-day long seminar which concluded here today.with the valedictory session, presided by the state Education Minister, Ram Vilas Sharma.The National Executive of the NUJ(I) felicitated the former president of NUJ(I), Rajinder Prabhu, for his untiring work and excellent suggestions before the present wage board authorities. A citation was read for him by the veteran Journalist, Shyam Khosla, who also presented a draft of Rs 21,000 to Prabhu.
