ISLAMABAD: The Implementation Tribunal for Newspaper Employees (ITNE) has disposed of several cases following ensuring payment of Rs 184,990,478 to petitioners, a statement said on Friday.
According to the statement issued by the tribunal, cases of around 167 journalists were disposed of from 17-10-2022 to 30-1-2024 after payment of Rs. 184,990,478.
In November 2023, the Islamabad High Court disposed of the petitions filed by journalists against ITNE for payment of their dues under the Wage Board Award. The ITNE in 2022 took a Suo Moto notice on the execution of the 8th Wage Board Award for journalists.
Earlier, the then minister for information had told the Parliament that to secure the rights of newspaper employees, the Implementation Tribunal for Newspaper Employees (ITNE) had managed to recover around Rs140 million within 9 months, facilitating payments of salaries.
The minister informed the House that in several cases the PID had made direct payments from the advertisement bills of those newspapers who could not pay the salaries to the suffering employees.
It may be recalled that the Implementation Tribunal for Newspaper Employees (ITNE) was set up in 1976 after including a clause in the Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1973. The main function of the Tribunal is to execute the Award of the Wage Board for journalists and non-journalists.
The Tribunal also makes efforts to decide the pending cases within the shortest possible time by observing mechanism prescribed as per the law. It also ensures to decide pending matters within shortest time to recover the money due under the orders of the Tribunal.
