The Federation of Nepalese Journalist (FNJ) has urged the government and management of the media houses to pay the journalist as per revised minimum wage scale.

In a statement issued after a central committee meeting on Monday, the FNJ criticised the government and media for not working sincerely to implement the new minimum wage fixed for the journalists.

Earlier this year, the government enacted a new act that proposes to increase minimum wage of working journalists to Rs 19,500.

But FNJ members said that not a single media houses have paid journalists as per the revised minimum wage scale even though the new scale has been published in the Nepal Gazette.

FNJ President Mahendra Bista said that the government should work to implement the working journalist act and implement the new minimum wage rule without delays.

“It is taking longer than expected to implement the act and put new wage related rules into effect due to unstable nature of government,” said Bista, adding that the journalists are really disappointed with the delays in implementation new wage scale.  

FNJ has been mounting pressure on the government to implement the act.  

FNJ is planning to hold a meeting with other concerned stakeholders to garner support to exert pressure on the government.