The Supreme Court today refused to make any interim arrangement for newspaper and news agency employees during the pendency of petitions challenging recommendations of Justice Majithia Wage Board for journalists and non-journalists but made it clear that there is no stay on implementing the recommendations.
A bench of justices Aftab Alam and Ranjana Prasad Desai refused to pass any interim order after newspaper managements declined to consider additional payments to their employees in the interim.
However, when senior advocate Colin Goansalves, appearing for various trade unions asked the court to clarify that there was no stay on implementation of the wage board recommendations, the bench replied in affirmative.
At the begining of the proceedings, the bench asked media organisations about the interim arrangement which they were asked to consider in the last hearing on September 21.
“Politely I decline,” senior advocate Fali Nariman, who was appearing for a media house, replied.
He further said that employees have got substantial hike ranging from 200-300 per cent during the the last thirteen years and refuted the allegations of the unions that they have not got anything during the period after the last wage board recommendations.
The bench said that it is not possible to pass any order on interim arrangement without hearing all sides and said that it would hear the main matter from January 8.
In the last hearing, the apex court had decided to hear from January 8 next for final disposal petitions challenging the Wage Boards’ recommendations and asked managements to consider payments in the interim.
A number of media organisations have challenged before the apex court the recommendations of the wage boards for journalists and non-journalists notified by the union government on November 11, 2011. They have also sought a stay of the notification.