THE WORKING JOURNALISTS (FIXATION OF RATES OF WAGES) ACT, 1958 ACT NO. 29 OF 1958 1

THE WORKING JOURNALISTS (FIXATION OF RATES OF WAGES) ACT, 1958 ACT NO. 29 OF 1958 1*

[16th September, 1958.]

An Act  to provide  for the  fixation of  rates of wages in respect of working journalists and for matters connected therewith. 

      BE it  enacted by Parliament in the Ninth Year of the Republic of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />India as follows:--

1. Short title.

 1. Short title.- This  Act may  be called the Working Journalists Fixation of Rates of Wages) Act, 1958.

2.  Definitions.

2.  Definitions.- In  this  Act,  unless  the  context  otherwise requires,--

 (a)  "Committee"   means  the  Committee  constituted  under section 3;

 (b) "prescribed"  means prescribed  by rules made under this Act;

 (c) "Wage  Board" means the Wage Board constituted under the working Journalists Act by notification No. S.R.O. 1075 of the  Government of  <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />India in the Ministry of Labour,dated the 2nd May, 1956;

(d) "Wage  Board decision"  means the  decisions of the Wage Board published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, dated the 11th May, 1957;

(e)  "Wages"  means  wages  as  defined  in  the  Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 (14 of 1947);

 f) "Working  Journalists Act" means the Working Journalists (Conditions of  Service) and Miscellaneous  Provisions Act, 1955 (45 of 1955);

 g) words  and expressions used but not defined in this Act,and defined  in the Working Journalists Act, shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in that Act.

 3.Constitution of Committee. 

 3. Constitution of Committee.- (1) For the purpose of enabling the Central Government  to fix  rates  of  wages  in  respect  of  working journalists in  the light  of the Judgment of the Supreme Court, dated  the 19th  day of March, 1958, relating to the Wage Board decision, and in  the  light  of  all  other  relevant circumstances,  the  Central Government shall, by

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 1.   Extended to the Union <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />territory of Pondicherry by Act 26 of 1968, S.3 and Schedule. 332 notification  in   the  Official   Gazette,  constitute   a  Committee consisting of the following persons, namely:--

(i) an  officer of the Ministry of Law not below the rank of Joint Secretary,  nominated by  the Central Government, who shall be the Chairman of the Committee,

(ii) three  persons nominated by the Central Government from among the  officers of  each of  the Ministries of Home Affairs, Labour  and  Employment  and  Information  and  Broadcasting,

 (iii)  a  chartered  accountant  nominated  by  the  Central Government.

 (2) If  for any  reason a vacancy (other than a vacancy by reason of temporary  absence) occurs  in the  office of  the Chairman  or any  other member  of the  Committee, the  Central Government  may  appoint another person in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (1) to fill the  vacancy,  a nd  the  inquiry  before  the  Committee  may  be continued from  the stage  which had  been reached  when  the  vacancy arose.

      (3) The  Central  Government  may  appoint  a  Secretary  to  the

 Committee, and may also provide the Committee with such other staff as

 may be necessary.

      (4) The  Secretary shall  perform such functions of a ministerial

 or other nature as the Committee or the Chairman thereof may assign or

 delegate to him.

 4. Functions of Committee.

      4. Functions  of Committee.- (1) The  Committee shall,  by notice

 published in  such manner  as  it  thinks  fit,  call  upon  newspaper

 establishments and working journalists and other persons interested in

 the Wage Board decision to make such representations as they may think

 fit as  respects the  Wage Board decision and the rates of wages which

 may be fixed under this Act in respect of working journalists.

      (2) Every  such representation  shall be  in writing and shall be

 made within  such period  not exceeding  thirty days, as the Committee

 may specify in the notice, and shall state--

           (a) the  specific grounds  of objection, if any, to the Wage

                Board decision,

           (b) the  rates of  wages which, in the opinion of the person

                making the  representation, would be reasonable, having

                regard to  the capacity of the employer to pay the same

                or  to  any  other  circumstance,  whichever  may  seem

                relevant to  the person  making the  representation  in

                relation to his representation,

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           (c) the  alterations or modifications, if any, which, in the

                opinion of the person making the representation, should

                be made  in the  Wage Board  decision and  the  reasons

                therefor.

      (3) The  Committee shall  take  into  account  the  representions

 aforesaid, if any, and after examining the materials placed before the

 Wage Board  and such  further materials as have since been obtained by

 or made  available to it under this Act, make such recommendations, as

 it thinks  fit, to the Central Government for the fixation of rates of

 wages  in   respect  of   working  journalists,   whether  by  way  of

 modification or  otherwise, of  the Wage  Board decision; and any such

 recommendation may  specify, whether  prospectively or retropectively,

 the date from which the rates of wages should take effect.

      (4) In  making any recommendations to the Central Government, the

 Committee shall  have regard to all the matters set out in sub-section

 (1) of section 9 of the Working Journalists Act.

      (5)  The   Committee  may,   if  it   thinks  fit,  take  up  for

 consideration   separately    groups   or    classes   of    newspaper

 establishments, whether  on the basis of regional classification or on

 any other  basis, and make recommendations from time to time in regard

 to each such group or class.

 5.

 Powers of Committee.

      5. Powers  of Committee.- (1) Subject to the provisions contained

 in sub-section  (2), the  Committee may  exercise all  or any  of  the

 powers which  an industrial tribunal, constituted under the Industrial

 Disputes Act, 1947 (14 of 1947),  exercises for the adjudication of an

 industrial dispute referred to it and shall, subject to the provisions

 contained in  this Act  and the  rules, if  any, made thereunder, have

 power to regulate its own procedure.

      (2) Any  representations made  to the Committee and any documents

 furnished to  it way  of evidence,  shall be  open  to  inspection  on

 payment of  such fee as may be prescribed, by any person interested in

 the matter.

      (3) If  in the  course of any inquiry it apperas to the Committee

 that it  is necessary  to examine  any accounts or documents or obtain

 any statements  from any  person,  the  Committee  may  authorise  any

 officer of  the Central  Government (hereinafter  referred to  as  the

 authorised officer)  in that behalf; and the authorised officer shall,

 subject to  the directions  of the  Committee,  if  any,  examine  the

 accounts or documents or obtain the statements from the person.

      (4) The  authorised officer may, subject to the directions of the

 Committee, if  any, exercise  all  or  any  of  the  powers  which  an

 industrial tribunal  may exercise under sub-section (2) or sub-section

 (3) of section 11 of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 (14 of 1947).

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      (5) Nothing  in sub-section  (1) of  section  54  of  the  Indian

 Income-tax Act,  1922 (11 of 1922),  or in any corresponding provision

 in any  other law  for the time being in force relating to the levy of

 any tax  shall apply  to the  disclosure of  any  of  the  particulars

 referred to  therein in  any  report  made  to  the  Committee  by  an

 authorised officer.

      (6) Any  information obtained  by an  authorised officer  in  the

 exercise of  any of  his powers  and any  report made  by  him  shall,

 notwithstanding  anything   contained  in  this  Act,  be  treated  as

 confidential, but  nothing in  this sub-section  shall  apply  to  the

 disclosure of any such information or report to the Central Government

 or to  a court  in relation  to any matter concerning the execution of

 this Act.

      (7) The authorised officer shall be deemed to be a public servant

 within the  meaning of  section 21  of the  Indian Penal  Code  (45 of

 1860).

 6.

 Power of Central Government to enforce recommendations of Committee.

      6. Power  of Central  Government to  enforce  recommendations  of

 Committee.- (1)   As  soon  as  may  be,  after  the  receipt  of  the

 recommendations of the Committee, the Central Government shall make an

 order  in   terms  of   the  recommendations   or  subject   to   such

 modifications, if any, as it thinks fit, being modifications which, in

 the opinion  of  the  Central  Government,  do  not  effect  important

 alterations in the character of the recommendations.

      (2) Notwithstanding  anything contained  in sub-section  (1), the

 Central Government may, if it thinks fit,--

           (a) make  such modifications  in  the  recommendations,  not

                being modifications  of the  nature referred to in sub-

                section (1). as it thinks fit:

           Provided that  before making  any  such  modifications,  the

                Central Government  shall cause  notice to  be given to

                all persons  likely to  be  affected  thereby  in  such

                manner as  may  be  prescribed,  and  shall  take  into

                account any representations which they may made in this

                behalf in writing, or

           (b) refer  the recommendations  or any  part thereof  to the

                Committee, in  which case  the Central Government shall

                consider its  further recommendations and make an order

                either in  terms of  the recommendations  or with  such

                modifications of  the nature referred to in sub-section

                (1) as it thinks fit.

      (3) Every order made by the Central Government shall be published

 in the  Official Gazette  together with  the  recommendations  of  the

 Committee relating  to the  order,  and  the  order  shall  come  into

 operation on  the  date  of  publication  or  on  such  date,  whether

 prospectively or retrospectively, as may be specified in the order.

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 7.

 Working journalists  entitled to  wages at  rates not  less than thosespecified

 in the order.

      7. Working  journalists entitled  to wages at rates not less than

 those specified in the order.-  Subject to the provisions contained in

 section 11,  on the  coming into  operation of an order of the Central

 Government, every  working journalist  shall be entitled to be paid by

 his employer  wages at  a rate which shall in no case be less than the

 rate of wages specified in the order.

 8.

 [Repealed.]

      8. [Review  of order of Central Government.]- Rep. by the Working

 Journalists (Amendment) Act, 1962, s. 10 (w.e.f. 15-1-1963.).

 9.

 Recovery of money due to working journalists.

      9. Recovery  of money  due to working journalists.- (1) Where any

 amount is due under this Act to a working journalist from an employer,

 1*[the working journalist himself, or any other person  authorised  by

 him  in  writing  in  this  behaf  or  in the cash of the death of the

 working journalist, any member of his family may],  without  prejudice

 to  any  other  mode  of  recovery,  make  an application to the State

 Government for the recovery of the money due to him, and if the  State

 Government,  or  such authority as the State Government may specify in

 this behalf, is satisfied that any money is so due, it shall  issue  a

 certificate  for that amount to the Collector, and the Collector shall

 proceed to recover that amount in the same manner as an arrear of land

 revenue.

       2*[(2) If any question arises as to the amount due under this Act

 to a  working journalist  from his employer, the State Government may,

 on its  own motion  or upon application made to it, refer the question

 to any  Labour Court  constituted by  it under the Industrial Disputes

 Act, 1947  (14 of  1947)  or  under any  corresponding law relating to

 investigation and  settlement of  industrial disputes  in force in the

 State and  the said  Act or  law shall  have effect in relation to the

 <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Labour Court  as if the question so referred were a matter referred to

 the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Labour Court for adjudication under that Act or law.]

      (3) The  decision of the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Labour Court shall be forwarded by it to

 the State  Government which  made the  reference, and any amount found

 due by  the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Labour  Court may  be recovered  in the manner provided in

 sub-section (1).

 10.

 Authentication of orders, letters, etc., of the Committee.

    10. Authentication of orders, letters, etc., of the Committee.- All

 notices, letters,  authorisations, orders  or other  documents  to  be

 issued or made by the Committee under this Act may be authenticated by

 the Chairman  or the Secretary thereof or any other officer authorised

 by the Committee in this behalf and any notice, letter, authorisation,

 order or  other document  so authenticated  shall be  presumed to have

 been duly issued or made by the Committee.

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 1.   Subs. by  Act 65 of 1962, s. 10, for "the working journalist may"

      (w.e.f. 15-1-1963).

 2.   Subs. by s. 10, ibid., for sub-section (2) (w.e.f. 15-1-1963).

 336

 11.

 Effect of Act on Working Journalists Act, etc.

      11. Effect  of Act on Working Journalists Act, etc.- (1) Sections

 8, 10,  11, 12  and 13  of the  Working Journalists  Act shall have no

 effect in relation to the Committee.

      (2) The  provisions of this Act shall have effect notwithstanding

 anything inconsistent  therewith in  the terms of any award, agreement

 or contract  of service, whether made before or after the commencement

 of this Act:

      Provided that  where under any such award, agreement, contract of

 service or  otherwise, a working journalist is entitled to benefits in

 respect of  any matter  which are more favourable to him than those to

 which he  would be  entitled under  this Act,  the working  journalist

 shall continue  to be  entitled to  the more  favourable  benefits  in

 respect of  that matter,  notwithstanding that he receives benefits in

 respect of other matters under this Act.

      (3) Nothing  contained  in  this  Act  shall  be  consistrued  to

 preclude any  working journalist from entering into any agreement with

 an employer  for granting  him rights  or privileges in respect of any

 matter which  are more  favourable to him than those to which he would

 be entitled under this Act.

 12.

 Vacancies, etc., not to invalidate proceedings of Committee.

      12. Vacancies, etc., not to invalidate proceedings of Committee.-

 No act  or proceeding  of the  Committee shall  be invalid  merely  by

 reason of the existence of any vacancy among its members or any defect

 in the constitution thereof.

 12A.

 Penalty.

      1*[12A. Penalty.- (1) Any employer who contravenes the provisions

 of section  7 shall  be punishable  with fine  which may extend to two

 hundred rupees.

      (2) Whoever,  having been  convicted of  any offence  under  sub-

 section (1),  is again convicted of an offence under that sub-section,

 shall be punishable with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees.

      (3) Where  an offence  has been  committed by  a  company,  every

 person who,  at the  time the offence was committed, was in charge of,

 and was responsible to, the company for the conduct of the business of

 the company,  as well  as the company, shall be deemed to be guilty of

 the offence  and shall  be liable to be proceeded against and punished

 accordingly:

      Provided that  nothing contained in this sub-section shall render

 any such  person liable  to any punishment provided in this section if

 he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that

 he exercised  all due  diligence to  prevent the  commission  of  such

 offence.

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 1.   Ins. by Act 65 of 1962, s. 10 (w.e.f. 15-1-1963).

 336A

      (4) Notwithstanding  anything contained in sub-section (3), where

 an offence  under this  section has been committed by a company and it

 is proved  that the  offence has  been committed  with the  consent or

 connivance of,  or that the commission of the offence is attributable,

 to any  gross  negligence  on  the  part  of  any  director,  manager,

 secretary or  other officer  of the  company, such  director, manager,

 secretary or  other officer  shall also be deemed to be guilty of such

 offence and  shall be  liable to  be proceeded  against  and  punished

 accordingly.

      (5) For the purposes of this section,--

           (a) "company"  means any  body corporate and includes a firm

                or other association of individuals; and

           (b) "director"  in relation to a firm means a partner in the

                firm.]

 13.

 Power to make rules.

      13. Power  to make rules.- (1)  The Central  Government  may,  by

 notification in  the Official  Gazette, make  rules to  carry out  the

 purposes of this Act.

      (2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the

 foregoing power, such rules may provide for--

           (a) the  manner in  which notices  under  this  Act  may  be

                published;

           (b) the  procedure to  be followed  by the  Committee in the

                exercise of its power under this Act;

           (c) the  powers and  functions of the Committee which may be

                delegated to any of its members;

           (d)  the  fees  to  be  paid  for  inspection  of  documents

                furnished to the Committee.

      1*[(3) Every  rule made under this Act, shall be laid, as soon as

 may be  after it is made, before each House of Parliament, while it is

 in session,  for a  total period of thirty days which may be comprised

 in one  session or  in two or more successive sessions, and if, before

 the expiry  of the  session immediately  following the  session or the

 successive  sessions  aforesaid,  both  Houses  agree  in  making  any

 modification in the rule or both Houses agree that the rule should not

 be made,  the rule  shall thereafter have effect only in such modified

 form or  be of  no effect,  as the  case may be; so, however, that any

 such modification  or annulment  shall be  without  prejudice  to  the

 validity of anything previously done under that rule.]

 14.

 [Repealed.]

      14. [Repeal and saving.]- Rep. by the Repealing and Amending Act,

 1960 (58 of 1960), s. 2 and Sch. I.

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 1.   Ins. by Act 4 of 1986, s. 2 and Sch. (w.e.f. 15-5-1986).