The President of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Joe Ajaero, has called for better pay, insurance cover and pension for journalists across the country.
Ajaero made the call when he visited the President of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Dr Chris Isiguzo in Abuja.
He explained that while journalists played significant roles in the fight for independence and current democracy Nigerians are enjoying, it is unfortunate the same people are begging for their salaries to be paid.
The labour leader said that journalism is getting worse by the day, though technology has enhanced the practice.
“The welfare of journalists is being underplayed. While journalists are a group of professionals fighting for everyone, nobody is for them, they are not even for themselves.
“Journalists do not have weekends, public holidays or festive season. They work and report activities of people that are enjoying weekends, public holidays and festivities.
“Even when a journalist is sacked or not paid for one year, other journalists will not write a story on such injustice,” Ajaero said.
He added: “I am advocating for a consultative machinery that we should hold every two years, to have a negotiation with all media employers in the county to fix minimum wage for journalists.
“Also, there should be a pension that all journalists should enjoy after retiring from the job. Insurance cover is another thing that journalists should enjoy to make them work better.”
The labour leader stressed that non-payment of journalists’ salary should not be encouraged and should be treated as a criminal offence.
Vanguard/ Oluwabusayo Oyinloye
