Journalism isn’t always a high paying job.

But according to one editor, 70 percent of Tamil paper reporters earn less than RM2,500 a month with no added benefits whatsoever, not even overtime.

BeritaDaily editor Nanta Kumar however said this is only the tip of the iceberg.

“In many cases, salaries are delayed up to three months, and even then, the backdated pay is not paid in full.

“Some prominent Tamil newspaper owners have also failed to pay statutory payments such as the Employee's Provident Fund (EPF) and Social Security Organisation (Socso) for their staff,” he wrote in a memorandum.

The memorandum was submitted to MIC president S Subramaniam and other party leaders on Friday, urging them to intervene for the Tamil journalists’ sake.

In it Nanta made several demands, namely

  • Minimum wage of RM2,500 for Klang Valley based journalists and RM2,000 for those working in other states.
  • Companies that fail to pay salaries for two months must be suspended and their directors fined in court.
  • Those who fail to make EPF and Socso contributions must be punished by the law.
  • For a special committee headed by Subramaniam with participation from Tamil paper owners and publishers to oversee these changes.
  • For a special government welfare fund for Tamil journalists especially veterans.

When asked by Malaysiakini why the situation was so bleak, Nanta said Tamil papers were not making money.

“There are six Tamil dailies. Apart from two the rest are not performing financially,” he said when contacted.

He claimed those not performing well, only continue to operate because for the owners’ political interests.

Nanta added that only a small number of affected journalists have lodged complaints with the Labour Department.

“These matters been brought to Labour Department but on a small scale.

“Only those who left their jobs lodged complaints. The rest are scared to go file labour complaints because they might lose their jobs,” he said.

Common problem with some media firms

In his memorandum, Nanta wrote that unless something is done, Tamil papers may soon meet an end.

Late wages seems to be a common problem with some media companies.

Previously Bernama TV staff were forced to go on emergency leave because they could not afford to go to work.

The matter has since been resolved, with Bernama taking full control of the company and giving staff government contracts.

Journalists at ABNxcess however were not so fortunate, and had to look for new jobs after being laid off when the company shut down its news department.

Under Section 19(1) of the Employment Act 1955, employers must pay employees “not later than the seventh day after the last day of any wage period”.

The Act defines a wage period as a duration of not more than one month.

However, under the same legislation, an employer may ask the director-general of the Labour Department, to “extend the time of payment by such number of days” that the director-general sees fit.