FNJ protests demanding professional safety of working journalists

KATHMANDU: The media persons staged a protest at Babarmahal, demanding professional safety of working journalists.

Currently, most of the working journalists at different media are deprived of payment and some are on the verge of losing their jobs in the wake of lockdown.

The protest was staged under the banner of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ). The agitated journalists demanded implementation of the Working Journalists Act and professional safety of media persons in the crisis caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.

On the occasion, FNJ Chair Govinda Acharya urged all to stage a strong protest as media houses were not implementing the Working Journalists Act and not providing salary to the journalists. FNJ General Secretary Ramesh Bista also seconded Acharya’s views and warned of vigorous protests.

Former Chair of FNJ Dharmendra Jha also said media entrepreneurs were doing injustice to workers while the media persons were at the receiving end of COVID-19 pandemic.

Similarly, Press Organization Nepal Chair Maheshwar Dahal and Nepal Press Union Chair Badri Sigdel argued that the media entrepreneurs should ensure the professional security of the working journalists at any cost, otherwise protest would be launched in front of their personal residences.

Different organizations working for the security of media persons were present in the protest. RSS