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IFJ Resolution: India: Improve safety and security of media workers
In light of the increasingly brutal attacks on journalists in India, we, journalists of the Asia Pacific, representing journalists' trade unions and associations of the region, gathered at a meeting of the IFJ in Kathmandu on Nov 24, 2016, call for the government to immediately bring to justice those who attack journalists. These measures include the immediate enactment of a Journalists’ Protection Act at the national level and other mechanisms to address the suffering of families of slain and attacked journalists. The impunity of perpetrators, which has a devastating effect on press freedom in India must end forthwith. In order to ensure that journalists can carry out their duty in secure conditions, a prerequisite to freedom of the press, we demand amendments in the Working Journalists Act to include the entire media compass; and stringent action against earring media management for non-implementation of statutory wage awards.This meeting specifically demands the constitution of a national level Media Commission which has been long overdue in view of the new media evolution and far-reaching changes in the media industry. We also demand the inclusion of electronic media in the purview of the existing press council, and make it a media council.We also demand immediate annulment of contract appointment in media as it is an unfair labour practice and an infringement in the freedom of the press. We call for the implementation of the Supreme Court verdict on equal pay for equal work regardless of the nature of appointment in the media industry.
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