The Supreme Court of India on Monday agreed to hear a plea filed by the National Alliance of Journalists (NAJ), claiming several instances in which media organisations have laid off their employees while citing the struggling economy.
The apex court has granted the government 14 days to reply and sought reasons for media outlets asking for involuntary resignations, wage cuts and furloughing reporters without pay.
#IMPACT
— Radhika Parashar (@_RadhikaReports) April 27, 2020
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear the plea filed by the #NationalAssociationofJournalists that requests the Apex court to suspend all lay-offs, salary cuts and direction to go on leave without pay advised by 9 media orgs. #JournalistsDeserveBetter pic.twitter.com/epjTJBtNBV
Along with the NAJ, four more unions including – the Brihanmumbai Union of Journalists (BUJ) and Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ), have also raised “serious issues” with the unethical staff lay-offs that have been executed by news companies in the last 30 days.
The petition which was filed on 16 April, has listed at least nine cases where news organisations asked their employees to stop working. The decision defied Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s advise to not change employees employment status at such a crucial time. On 25 March, when Prime Minister Modi first announced the lockdown, he noted that along with healthcare and armed authorities, journalists would also fall under the essential workers category.
Reporters in different parts of the country have contracted COVID-19 while reporting. Earlier last week, members of India’s journalism fraternity, including the country’s Press Association told Sputnik that correspondents also require personal protective equipment, life insurance for themselves and their families, and most importantly, job security.
Last week, the entire team of Sunday Magazine, which is part of the renowned Indian publication The Times of India – was laid off overnight. When Sputnik reached out to the senior assistant editor of the laid-off team for a comment, she declined, saying the time was not right to comment and that all she feels is numb.
Facing job cuts and legal troubles -- Indian #journalists feel "numb" right now. pic.twitter.com/QwYYjjs3L7
— Radhika Parashar (@_RadhikaReports) April 21, 2020
COVID-19, layoffs and politics: Indian journalists fight it all, demand job and health security https://t.co/p3iIbFWKKc
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) April 21, 2020
According to the YouGov report, early estimates show that the unemployment rate in urban India has soared to 30.9 percent. In addition, the United Nations has estimated that around 400 million workers in India will slip into poverty due to the pandemic.
