9th wage board: SC to hear Noab's arguments on April 21

The Supreme Court (SC) will hear the arguments from the Newspapers Owners Association of Bangladesh (Noab) about awarding the ninth wage board on April 21.

The Appellate Division of the SC today asked the president and general secretary of NOAB to appear before the court through lawyers on April 21 for assisting it by placing statements on this issue.

A five-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan passed the order during hearing on two separate leave to appeal petitions filed by the government challenging the High Court verdict that declared illegal the cabinet committee's recommendations in the ninth wage board award.

In the 12th chapter of the wage board, the cabinet committee has recommended that the journalists and employees of newspapers and news agencies themselves will pay their income taxes, they will get only one gratuity a year and the decisions of the ninth wage board might be implemented in phases.

Today, the Supreme Court adjourned till April 21 the hearing on the leave to appeal petitions against the HC verdict.

Following a writ petition filed by Md Mabubuzzaman, the then secretary of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Employees Union, the HC on November 6 last year delivered the verdict.

In the verdict, the HC said, "The impugned recommendation of the cabinet committee placed in chapter 12 of the 9th News Paper Wage Board Award approved by the government and published in the Bangladesh Gazette on September 12, 2019 so far relates to the payment of tax on income of the employees of the newspapers and news agencies by the employees and payment of gratuity equivalent to one month basic salary by the employer/establishment is hereby declared illegal, without lawful authority and is of no legal effect."

The petitioner is entitled to get the "firings benefits" following the recommendation made by the 9th Newspaper Wage Board published in the notification on September 12, 2019, the HC said in the verdict.

The attorney general's office filed two separate leave to appeal petitions on behalf of the government and cabinet secretary with the SC challenging the HC verdict.

Deputy Attorney General Samarendranath Biswas appeared for the government while senior lawyer Md Salahuddin Dolon appeared for the writ petitioner during hearing today.