ISLAMABAD: According to a recent estimate, over 250,000 workers in the digital media industry lack proper legal protections, such as fair compensation and suitable working conditions.
The Institute for Research, Advocacy and Development (Irada) made this statement in a legal brief that was to be filed with the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
The evaluation concluded that in the face of the shift to digital journalism, the government has not changed labor regulations. “Journalists’ rights have been harmed by this lack of legal recognition, particularly for those who work for independent publications.”
Speaking on the court brief on Tuesday, Muhammad Aftab Alam, the Executive Director of Irada, stated that comprehensive laws protecting all media workers are desperately needed.
Lack of legal protection for journalists is highlighted in the Irada legal brief.
Newspaper workers were recognized by the Newspapers Employees (Conditions of Service) Act (Necosa) 1973, he said, which was an existing special statute.
“Unfortunately, print media is getting smaller as a result of technological improvements. Yet the great majority of employees in the broadcast or digital media do not enjoy the same particular rights as those in the print media, according to Mr. Alam.
According to the Irada brief, Necosa gives media personnel rights beyond those prescribed by labor legislation, including as immunity from “at-will” firing. Nonetheless, a large number of media professionals who don’t work for newspapers do not receive pensions, social security, or severance pay.
Mr. Alam claims that the legal ambiguities that journalists must deal with make it difficult for them to carry out their jobs safely and successfully.
He continued, “most people working in broadcast and digital media don’t have any legally binding agreements with their staff.”
The legal brief also emphasized the shortcomings and non-implementation of current laws.
It claimed that the “Wage Board,” which Necosa established to set wages for newspaper employees, was “insufficient.”
Eight Wage Board Awards have been given out thus far. The eighth prize was decided upon in December 2019, announced in March 2020, and became effective in February 2020; nevertheless, more than four years later, it has not yet been carried out.
“Similar flaws” exist in the Implementation Tribunal for Newspaper Employees (ITNE), which was established in 1976 to uphold Wage Board decisions.
“ITNE has resolved 2,783 cases in the past ten years. Many media professionals have not yet seen pay awards implemented in spite of this.
According to the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act 2021, journalists and media professionals are recognized for their work in television and the internet, although there are significant job rights gaps for journalists in these platforms.
“Like their newspaper colleagues, they face power imbalances and lack protection from arbitrary dismissals under Necosa.”
The brief suggested legal protections against at-will termination for online and television journalists, as well as mandatory employer contributions to worker welfare programs, mandatory gratuities, provident funds, and insurance, as well as fines for underpayment or delayed payments.
The IHC will hear a matter involving the rights of Pakistani media workers, and the legal brief will be presented there. The IHC chief justice is scheduled to hear the case on Thursday, according to the cause list that is accessible on the court’s website.
The International Federation of Journalists sent a letter in 2021 protesting the “non-enforcement of the rights of the journalists and media workers of Pakistan,” which sparked the lawsuit. Mr. Alam had hoped the court would see the seriousness of the situation and order the government to move quickly to implement legal reforms.
