HRCP convenes an awareness-raising session on the rights of media workers.

ISLAMABAD -- The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), under an EU-funded project, held an awareness-raising session to discuss the legal framework addressing media workers' labour rights-including both journalists and non-journalists- working in the electronic and digital media industry.

The session also highlighted the urgency in updating this legal framework in view of recent technological developments, and sought to initiate a dialogue among media workers and their representative bodies to chart the way forward towards a more robust rights framework for the sector.

The session had representation from various key stakeholders. Notably, in attendance were secretary-general Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) Tariq Ali Virk, president Pakistan Federation of Journalists (PFUJ) Afzal But, chairman All Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confederation (APNEC) Siddique Anzar, vice-president National Press Club Myra Imran, member Women Journalists Association of Pakistan (WJAP) Fozia Kalsoom Rana and country-director for Pakistan of International Federation for Journalists (IFJ) Ghulam Mustafa.

The session was lead and moderated by advocate Aftab Alam, Executive director Institute of Research Advocacy and Development (IRADA).

The participants were informed that multiple indicators - such as number of workers various media platforms, number of media channels, advertisement spending across media platforms - reflect a massive shrinkage in print media, with greater space being taken by broadcast, electronic and digital media. Whereas rights of journalists and non-journalist workers in the press and print media industry were protected through enactment of special law called Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1973, no special law has yet been enacted to extend similar protection to workers in the electronic and digital media industry. Thus, workers in the electronic and digital media industry rely on the general labor laws for protection of their rights as workers, however, the degree of protection is inadequate. Most importantly, although the emergence of new digital media platforms has created opportunities for a new labour market, this market lacks any legal or institutional cover to protect the labour rights of workers engaged in the digital media. It was further highlighted that the current legal regime, that is also instituted in the last century, are gender-blind and by still retaining terms such as 'workmen' these...

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