People's Democracy

DUJ Congratulates Journos on Successful Action

THE Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) has congratulated its members and all constituents of the Confederation of Newspapers & News Agencies Employees Organisations for the massive rally outside the press area at Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg on December 29. The action was organised to caution the newspaper managements, in particular that of The Times of India, against machinations to scuttle the wage board and reduce the Working Journalists Act to a cipher.

On the day, journalists and press workers marched in unison from the Express gate to the end of the Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg area, while there was a meeting outside the gates of the Bennett Coleman & Co. The meeting was addressed among others by the Confederation secretary general M S Yadav, Indian Express Employees Union president N S Naidu, IJU leaders Akhouri Suresh Prasad and S N Sinha, AINEF general secretary Madan Talwar, senior NUJ leader Gangwar, UNI Union president M L Joshi and  DUJ general secretary S K Pande.

The meeting on the day went on for over two and a half hours, under the banner of the Confederation. It warned the Indian Newspapers Society (INS) and certain managements like that of The Times of India against putting pressure at various levels to try and obstruct the implementation of the wage board. The meeting also deplored attempts by managements to spread terror by targeting select union activists.

The meeting also cautioned against attempts to split the united movement of journalists and press workers in Delhi. These machinations will be defeated, the meeting asserted.

The meeting welcomed the support extended to the action by various trade unions. In its turn, it conveyed support and solidarity to the February 28 general strike.

Meanwhile, reports have reached the DUJ office of rallies in Mumbai, Tamilnadu and West Bengal, besides solidarity messages from various states. More reports are pouring in. An emergency meeting of functionaries of the DUJ took stock of the situation after the rally and resolved to intensify the agitation in unison with fraternal bodies. It also organised a stock taking meeting on December 31. 

An emergency meeting of the Confederation is expected to take place in the next few days.