Pinarayi Vijayan calls for state action to resolve Madhyamam staff strike

Kerala Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan has called on the state government to intervene in a strike by employees of the Madhyamam newspaper, The Hindu reports. Mr Vijayan was speaking at a day-and-night protest outside the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram. The agitation was organised by the Kerala Union of Working Journalists and the Kerala Newspaper Employees’ Federation, with support from 12 Central and State trade unions.

The protest concerns the management’s alleged withholding of employees’ salaries for eight months. Mr Vijayan said the staff were seeking payment that was rightfully due to them. He said a previous Left Democratic Front government had intervened in the dispute and helped facilitate a temporary compromise.

The present government, he argued, should again take the initiative to address what he described as unacceptable positions taken by the newspaper management. Mr Vijayan said the situation should not occur in a media organisation or any other modern commercial establishment. He also criticised employment practices under which permanent employees were allegedly pressured to resign and then re-engaged as contract workers.

He described those practices as unacceptable not only to the protesting staff but also to employees in organisations across Kerala. The protest was held as unions sought a settlement of the dispute. The report does not provide a response from Madhyamam management or details of any fresh government action following Mr Vijayan’s appeal.