Working Journalists (Fixation of Rates of Wages) Act, 1958
No: 29 Dated: Sep, 16 1958
THE WORKING JOURNALISTS (FIXATION OF RATES OF WAGES) ACT, 1958
ACT NO. 29 OF 1958
An Act to provide for the fixation of rates of wages in respect of working journalists and for matters connected therewith.
BE it enacted by Parliament in the Ninth Year of the Republic of India as follows:―
1. Short title.―This Act may be called the Working Journalists (Fixation of Rates of Wages) Act, 1958.
2. Definitions.―In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,―
(a) “Committee” means the Committee constituted under section 3;
(b) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(c) “Wage Board” means the Wage Board constituted under the Working Journalists Act by notification No. S.R.O. 1075 of the Government of India in the Ministry of Labour, dated the 2nd May, 1956;
(d) “Wage Board decision” means the decisions of the Wage Board published in the Gazette of India Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, dated the 11th May, 1957;
(e) “Wages” means wages as defined in the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 (14 of 1947);
(f) “Working Journalists Act” means the Working Journalists (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955 (45 of 1955);
(g) words and expressions used but not defined in this Act, and defined in the Working Journalists Act, shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in that Act.
3. Constitution of Committee.―(1) For the purpose of enabling the Central Government to fix rates of wages in respect of working journalists in the light of the Judgment of the Supreme Court, dated the 19th day of March, 1958, relating to the Wage Board decision, and in the light of all other relevant circumstances, the Central Government shall, by notification in the Official Gazette, constitute a Committee consisting of the following persons, namely:―
(i) an officer of the Ministry of Law not below the rank of Joint Secretary, nominated by the Central Government, who shall be the Chairman of the Committee,
(ii) three persons nominated by the Central Government from among the officers of each of the Ministries of Home Affairs, Labour and Employment and Information and Broadcasting,
(iii) a chartered accountant nominated by the Central Government.
(2) If for any reason a vacancy (other than a vacancy by reason of temporary absence) occurs in the office of the Chairman or any other member of the Committee, the Central Government may appoint another person in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (1) to fill the vacancy, and the inquiry before the Committee may be continued from the stage which had been reached when the vacancy arose.
(3) The Central Government may appoint a Secretary to the Committee, and may also provide the Committee with such other staff as may be necessary.
(4) The Secretary shall perform such functions of a ministerial or other nature as the Committee or the Chairman thereof may assign or delegate to him.
4. Functions of Committee.―(1) The Committee shall, by notice published in such manner as it thinks fit, call upon newspaper establishments and working journalists and other persons interested in the Wage Board decision to make such representations as they may think fit as respects the Wage Board decision and the rates of wages which may be fixed under this Act in respect of working journalists.
(2) Every such representation shall be in writing and shall be made within such period not exceeding thirty days, as the Committee may specify in the notice, and shall state—
(a) the specific grounds of objection, if any, to the Wage Board decision,
(b) the rates of wages which, in the opinion of the person making the representation, would be reasonable, having regard to the capacity of the employer to pay the same or to any other circumstance, whichever may seem relevant to the person making the representation in relation to his representation,
(c) the alterations or modifications, if any, which, in the opinion of the person making the representation, should be made in the Wage Board decision and the reasons therefor.
(3) The Committee shall take into account the representations aforesaid, if any, and after examining the materials placed before the Wage Board and such further materials as have since been obtained by or made available to it under this Act, make such recommendations, as it thinks fit, to the Central Government for the fixation of rates of wages in respect of working journalists, whether by way of modification or otherwise, of the Wage Board decision; and any such recommendation may specify, whether prospectively or retropectively, the date from which the rates of wages should take effect.
(4) In making any recommendations to the Central Government, the Committee shall have regard to all the matters set out in sub-section (1) of section 9 of the Working Journalists Act.
(5) The Committee may, if it thinks fit, take up for consideration separately groups or classes of newspaper establishments, whether on the basis of regional classification or on any other basis, and make recommendations from time to time in regard to each such group or class.