Journalist groups demand secure work environment

Media organisations should provide journalists, including women, with a secure work atmosphere where their dignity as individuals is protected and maintained, two leading journalists groups said here Monday.

"We support the demand that news organisations provide journalists, including women, a secure work atmosphere which is discrimination free and where their dignity as individuals is protected and maintained," the Press Club of India and the Indian Women's Press Corps said in a joint statement.

The two groups also demanded that the government ensure that media organisations comply with all statutory laws, including those related to sexual harassment of women at the workplace.

"Irregular and long working hours, absence of proper statutory committees against sexual harassment and the absence of a code of conduct for employers place women employees in the media in a vulnerable position," the statement said.

It said the "typically contract-based" nature of jobs was frequently exploited as due to the tenuous nature of the terms of employment, employees in general and women in particular find it impossible to come out in the open and confront their difficult office environment.

"Unreasonable demands, unwarranted comments and abusive behaviour are tolerated by employees for fear of losing their jobs. The demand of the hour is the regularisation of contracts and establishment of decent work conditions within the media," it said.