Dhaka Reporters' Unity (DRU) has called for the immediate implementation of the 9th Wage Board Award, the formation of the 10th Wage Board, and the introduction of a two-day weekly holiday.
On Sunday, DRU President Abu Saleh Akon and General Secretary Mynul Hasan Sohel made the demand in a joint statement.
The leaders in the joint statement said that many organizations are not paying salaries properly and that there is no structured pay scale for journalists. Although the implementation of the wage board for journalists has long been discussed, it has not been put into practice.
Meanwhile, the cost of living continues to rise due to soaring commodity prices.
Therefore, the present government must take effective steps to implement the 9th Wage Board and form the 10th without delay. At the same time, a uniform wage board should be established for newspapers, online platforms, television, radio, and multimedia outlets, the statement added.
In the joint statement, they further said that a journalist often leaves home at 8am and does not return until 11pm. In many organizations, it is claimed that there is no eight-hour duty for journalists – their duty lasts the whole day.
They asked whether journalists are excluded from labour law, and if not, why they are made to work under such conditions.
The leaders also pointed out that government offices enjoy a two-day weekend, and many private organizations have introduced the same, while journalists have neither fixed working hours nor a guaranteed weekly holiday. This is creating additional physical and mental pressure.
They urged that journalists must immediately be granted two days of weekly holiday.
In the statement, they also mentioned that dismissing journalists at will has become almost routine. Journalists should not be terminated without proper grounds, and all benefits under the wage board must be ensured.
Meanwhile, from July 1, 2025, the government has implemented a 10% increase in the basic salaries of public officials and employees, which includes their 5% annual increment along with an additional 5% rise.
Furthermore, allowances for government staff – particularly those in lower and middle grades – have been raised from Tk1,000 to Tk1,500, while pensioners’ benefits have increased from Tk500 to Tk750.
At the same time, the government has formed the 23-member National Pay Commission 2025, headed by former finance secretary Zakir Ahmed Khan, to review pay rises for government officials. Yet, the implementation of the 9th Wage Board and the formation of the 10th for journalists remain pending.
