Wage Board Award

 

A Wage Board is a legally established or government-appointed body—often comprising representatives of workers, employers, and an independent chair—that is responsible for investigating and setting wage rates and related working conditions within a specific industry or sector.

Scope of Authority:

Sets minimum wages, benefits, working hours, cost-of-living adjustments, and other workplace standards across a sector or industry.

In Pakistan, the Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1973 empowers the federal government to establish a wage board to fix rates for journalists and newspaper staff

Implementation tribunal for Newspaper Employees

The Implementation Tribunal for Newspaper Employees (ITNE) is a statutory judicial body established under Section 12A of the Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1973. Its core mandate is to enforce the awards issued by Wage Boards under that Act.

 

Composition & Authority

 

• Chaired by a High Court–level judge, with additional members as appointed by the Federal Government.

 Main Functions

1. Enforce Wage Board Awards: Ensures newspapers implement mandated wage decisions.
2. Hear and decide offenses: Deals with violations under Section 55 of the Industrial Relations Ordinance related to non-implementation.
3. Adjudicate on employee classifications: Determines who qualifies as a “newspaper employee” for award application.

Relevant Sections of Law

 

Section 9 of the Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1973 pertains to the establishment of a Wage Board responsible for determining wage rates for newspaper employees in Pakistan.

Key Provisions of Section 9:

 

• Constitution of the Wage Board: The Federal Government is empowered to constitute a Wage Board whenever necessary. This Board comprises a Chairman—who must be or have been qualified to be a Judge of a High Court—and an equal number of members representing newspaper employees and employers.
• Mandate of the Wage Board: The Board is tasked with fixing wage rates for newspaper employees. In doing so, it considers factors such as the cost of living, prevailing wage rates in comparable employments, regional circumstances of the newspaper industry, and any other relevant factors.
• Time frame for Decisions: The Board is required to deliver its decision within 180 days from the date of its constitution.
• Publication and Enforcement: Once the Federal Government receives the Board’s decision, it must publish it within one month. The published decision is deemed to be an award of the Full Bench of the National Industrial Commission, making it legally binding.
• This section ensures that wage determinations for newspaper employees are conducted through a structured and legally recognized process, balancing the interests of both employees and employers in the newspaper industry.