Indian Journalists Union Demands Special Safety Law and Restoration of Working Journalists Act

The Indian Journalists Union and the Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists held demonstrations on October 2, 2026, demanding a dedicated safety law for journalists, restoration of the Working Journalists Act, the formation of a Wage Board, and improved welfare measures including accident insurance, health scheme oversight, and pensions for senior journalists. A delegation also submitted a memorandum to a local MLA seeking government action.

At a Friday gathering marking 2 October 2026, IJU members put forward a call for dedicated legislation protecting journalists on the job, alongside a push for the reinstatement of the Working Journalists Act. A motorcycle procession through Vijayawada was put together by the Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ), marking the October 2 date that the IJU had designated for pressing its outstanding demands. Wreaths of flowers were placed at the foot of Mahatma Gandhi's statue outside New Bridge Centre, while those gathered called out in unison for their demands to be met. Four demands were placed before the relevant authorities by D. Somasundar, the union's secretary-general: the formation of a Media Commission to examine the condition of the press nationwide, dedicated legislation protecting journalists and media organisations from harm, reinstatement of the Working Journalists Act, and the establishment of a Wage Board tasked with reviewing and revising pay scales across the journalism profession. The individual holding the presidency of APUWJ goes by the initials I.V. Subbarao noted that pledges made to journalists ahead of the elections had gone unmet by the coalition government, even after it had been in office for two and a half years. Allocations of residential land and housing units for journalists were among the commitments the government put forward, yet no tangible steps toward delivering on those pledges had materialised, he noted. Reinstatement of the journalists' accident insurance arrangement was among the demands put forward, alongside a call for a three-party oversight body to tackle the difficulties arising in the rollout of the Working Journalists Health Scheme. A pension arrangement for retired journalists in Andhra Pradesh formed part of his requests, with the proposal drawing on the fact that 15 other states across the country had already put such provisions in place. A group representing the affected parties approached Vijayawada Central MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao afterward, handing over a written memorandum that called for action on their outstanding concerns.

Indian Journalists Union Demands Special Safety Law and Restoration of Working Journalists Act

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Indian Journalists Union Demands Special Safety Law and Restoration of Working Journalists Act

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