150 broadcast journos lost jobs this year

Throughout this year, over 150 broadcast journalists lost their jobs, said a survey by Broadcast Journalist Centre (BJC) released yesterday
The survey was based on data collected from 30 national television channels.
BJC's Executive Coordinator Shahnaz Sharmeen revealed the findings at the International Mother Language Institute.
It was also found that at least 48.3 of the channels do not provide termination benefits, while 44.8 do not give any notice period for terminations, which are mandatory by the law.
Meanwhile, less than half of the TV channels pay their workers on time -- at least 20 percent of them keep their workers waiting for several months at a time for salaries and take two to five months to pay arrears.
Salaries are irregular and paid in instalments in 35 percent of the channels.
Moreover, more than 82 percent of the channels do not have a sexual harassment prevention committee, BJC found.
This too was mandated by a 2009 High Court ruling, which instructed that such committees be set up in all workplaces and institutions.
Health insurance too is paid by only a minority of the channels -- only about 20 percent provide this benefit, while 72.4 percent do not provide any life insurance.
Only about a quarter of the channels provide provident fund, while 10 percent provide gratuity.
Additionally, 90 percent of the channels do not have regular annual increments, and as many as 72.4 percent do not pay for overtime when workers are on duty on government holidays.
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