Otherwise, they would announce their next course of action at a grand rally of the journalists and employees on July 17, the leaders said in a joint statement.

A token strike would also be observed in all newspapers and news agencies from 11:00am to 2:00pm on the day.

Protesting the long delay in forming the wage board, the leaders said that although the cabinet has approved its formation four months ago, the information ministry has failed to act.

They also said that while the government has awarded new pay scale to the officers and employees, the newspapermen are facing financial hardships due to price spiral.

The signatories to the statement included SSKOP leaders Gias Kamal Chowdhury, Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Fazle Imam, Ruhul Amin Gazi, Motiur Rahman Talukder, Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, Abul Hashem, Khairul Islam, Altaf Mahmud, Elahi Neaz Khan, Shah Alamgir and Sarder Farid.