Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1973

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THE NEWSPAPER EMPLOYEES (CONDITIONS OF 
SERVICE) ACT, 1973 
 
              
 
CONTENTS 
1.  Short title, extent and commencement 
2.  Definitions 
3.  Order of appointment, etc.  
4.  Termination of employment 
5.  Provident Fund 
6.  Hours of work 
7.  Leave 
8.  Medical care 
9.  Wage Board 
10.   Fixations of wages 
11.  Publication of the decision of the Board 
12.  Decision of Board to be deemed to be an award of the Commission 
12A.  Tribunal 
13.  Powers of the Tribunal 
13A.  Appeal from sentence of Tribunal 
13B.  Benches of the Tribunal, etc. 
14.  Powers and procedure of the Board 
15.  Decision of the Board to be binding on all employers 
 
 

 
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16.  Powers of Board to fix interim rates of wages 
16A.  Additional power of Board and Tribunal 
17.  W. P. Ordinance VI of 1968 to apply to newspaper establishment 
18.  Ordinance XXIII of 1969 to apply to newspaper employees 
19.  Effect of laws and agreements inconsistent with this Act 
20.  Inspectors 
21.  Offences and penalties 
21A.  Chairman, etc., to be public servants 
22.  Indemnity 
23.  Power to make rules 
23A.  Continuation of powers 
24.  Repeal and savings 
 
 
 
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THE NEWSPAPER EMPLOYEES (CONDITIONS OF SERVICE) 
ACT, 1973. 
 
ACT NO. LVIII OF1973 
[11th August, 1973] 
 
An Act to repeal and, with certain amendments, re enact the Working Journalists 
(Conditions of Service) Ordinance, 1960 
 
 WHEREAS  it  is  expedient  to  repeal  and,  with  certain  amendments,  re enact  the 
Working Journalists (Conditions of Service) Ordinance, 1960; 
 
 It is hereby enacted as follows:― 
 
 1. Short  title,  extent  and  commencement.―(1)  This  Act  may  be  called  the 
Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act 1973.  
 
 (2) It extends to the whole of Pakistan. 
 
 (3) It shall come into force at once. 
 
2. Definitions.— In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or 
context, 
 
(a)  “Board” means the Wage Board constituted under section 9; 
 
(b)  “Commission” means the National Industrial Relations Commission 
constituted under section 22A of the Ordinance; 
 
1[(ba) “division concerned” means the division to which the business of this Act 
stands allocated;] 
 
(c)  “newspaper” means any p rinted periodical work containing public news or 
comments on public news and includes such other class of printed periodical 
work as may, from time to time, be notified in this behalf by the  Federal 
Government in the official Gazette; 
 
(d)  “newspaper employee” means any person employed to do any work in, or in 
relation to, any newspaper establishment and includes — 
 
 (i)  a whole-time journalist, including an editor, a leader writer, news 
 editor, feature writer, reporter, correspondent, copy tester, cartoonist, 
 news-photographer, caligraphist and proof-reader; and 
 
 (ii)  a whole-time non journalist, including a manager, clerk, stenotypist, 
 printing engineer, linotype operator, composer, type-setter, photo 
 studio attendant, printing worker, an accountant and an office peon; 
 
 
1Ins. by Act No. XXVI of 2026, s.2.  
 
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(e)  “newspaper establishment” means an establishment under the control of any 
person or body of persons whether incorporated or not, for the production, 
printing or publication of one or more newspapers or for conducting any 
news agency or syndicate ; 
 
(f)  “Ordinance” means the Industrial Relations Ordinance, 1969(XXI of 1969); 
 
(g)  “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act ; 
 
1
[(gg)  “Tribunal” means a Tribunal constituted under section 12A;] 
 
(h)  “wages” means wages as defined in the Payment of Wages Act, 1936 (IV of 
1936) and includes any gratuity or other payment declared as wages by the 
Board; and 
 
(i)  all words and expressions used but not defined in this Act and defined in the 
Ordinance s hall have the m eanings respectively assigned to them in the 
Ordinance. 
 
3. O rder of  appointment, etc.— A n ewspaper establishment employing a newspaper 
employee shall, at the time of his appointment, transfer or promotion, furnish to him an order 
in writing showing the terms and conditions of his service. 
 
4. Termination of employment.— The services of a n ewspaper employee shall not be 
terminated by a newspaper establishment without good cause shown, through a notice, in writing, of 
such termination— 
 
(a)  of one month, if the total period of continuous service of the newspaper 
employee with the newspaper establishment is not less than three months but 
less than two years; 
 
(b)  of two months, it the total period of such service is not less than two years but 
less than three years; and 
 
(c)  of three months, if the total period of such service is not less than three years;  
 
 Provided that, if the order of appointment of the newspaper employe e provides notice of a 
longer period, notice shall be given in accordance with the terms of such order: 
 Provided further that the services of a newspaper employee may be terminated at an y time on 
payment of wages in lieu of the requisite notice. 
 5. Provident Fund.―(1) Every newspaper establishment shall constitute, for the benefit 
of its newspaper employees, a Provident Fund in such manner as may be prescribed. 
 
 
 
1 Ins. by the Act No. LVI of 1975, s. 2. 
 
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(2) The Provident Fund shall be held and administered by a Board of Trustees consisting of 
an equal number of representatives of the newspaper establishment constituting the Fund and of the 
newspaper employees employed in it, chosen and appointed in such manner as may be prescribed. 
 
(3) Every newspaper employee shall, after the completion of the first two years of his service 
with any newspaper establishment, subscribe to the Provident Fund, every month, a sum not less 
than 6-1/4 per cent and not more than 10 per cent of his monthly wages, and the employer in relation 
to that establishment shall contribute to it an equal amount. 
 
(4) During the first three months of his service, the newspaper employee may or may not, at 
his option, subscribe to the Provident Fund and, if he so  subscribe, the employer in relation to the 
newspaper establishment shall subscribe to it an equal amount. 
 
(5) A newspaper establishment shall be deemed to be a public Institution for the purposes of 
the Provident Funds Act, 1925 (XIX of 1925). 
 
6. Hours of work.— Subject to the Factories Act, 1934 (XXV of 1934), and any rules that 
may be made, or deemed to have been made under this Act, no newspaper employee sh all be 
required to work in any newspaper establishment for more than forty-two hours in a week, exclusive 
of the time for meals. 
 
Explanation.―For the purposes of this section, ‘week’ means a period of seven days  
beginning at mid-night on Saturday. 
 
7. Leave.— Without prejudice to such holidays as may be prescribed, every newspaper 
employee shall be entitled to― 
 
(a)  earned leave on full wages, for not less than one eleventh of the period spent 
on duty; 
 
(b)   leave  on  medical  certificate  on  one-half  of  the  w ages,  for  not  less  
than one-eighteenth of the period of service subject to a minimum period of 
ten days in a calendar year ; and 
 
(c)  Fifteen day’s casual leave of absence with wages in a calendar year.  
  
 8. Medical care.―(1) A newspaper employee shall be entitled, together with his  dependents, 
to medical care at the cost of the newspaper establishment in, or in relation to, which he is employed. 
 
 (2) Medical care shall, subject to rules made under this Act, include― 
 
(a)  treatment by a medical practitioner registered under the 1[Medical and Dental 
Council Ordinance, 1962 (XXXII of 1962)], both at the clinic of such practi- 
tioner and at the residence of the newspaper employee; 
 
(b)  treatment by specialists in hospitals and by s uch specialists as may be 
available outside hospitals ; 
 
 
1 Subs. by the Federal Laws (Revision and Declaration) Ordinance, 1981 (XXVII of 1981), s. 3 and Sch., II. 
 
 
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(c)   essential  pharmaceutical  supplies  as  prescribed  by  a  medical  practitioner 
under clause (a) or by a specialist under clause (b) ; and 
 
(d)  hospitalization, where necessary. 
 
(3) The manner in which and the scale on which medical care shall be supplied shall be such 
as may be prescribed. 
 
 Explanation.―For the purpose of this section, “dependents” means the spouse, widowed 
mother and legitimate sons and daughters, including step-sons and step-daughters, of a newspaper 
employee, residing with and wholly dependent upon him. 
 
9. Wage Boa rd.―(1)  The  Federal  Government  may,  whenever  it  so  considers 
necessary, by notification in the official Gazette, constitute a Wage Board for fixing rates of wages 
in respect of newspaper employees in accordance with the provisions of this Act. 
 
(2) The Board shall consist of a Chairman appointed by the Federal Government, who 
shall be a p erson who has been or is, or is qualified to be a Judge of a Hi gh Court, and as many 
members to advise the Chairman as may be appointed by the Federal Government, so, however, that 
one half of the members shall be persons representing the newspaper employees and the other half 
the employers in relation to newspaper establishments. 
 
(3) The Board shall give its decision within a period of one hundred and eighty days from 
the day of its constitution. 
 
10.  Fixations of  wages.―(1)  In  fixing  rates  of  wages  in  respect  of  newspaper 
employees, the Board may take into consideration the cost of living, the prevalent rates of wages of 
comparable employments, the circumstances relating to the newspaper industry in different regions 
of the country, and any other circumstances which to the Board may seem relevant. 
 
(2) The Board may fix rates of wages for time work and for piece work. 
 
(3) The  decision of  the Board fixing rates of wages sh all be  communicated as soon as 
practicable to the 1[division concerned]. 
 
11. Publication of the decision of the Board.―(1) The decision of the Board shall, within 
a period of one month from the date of its receipt by the 1[division concerned], be published in 
such manner as may be prescribed. 
 
(2) The decision of the Board published under subsection (1) shall come into operation on 
such date as may be specified in the decision, and where no date is so sp ecified, it shall come into 
operation on the date of its  publication, and shall remain in force until it is modified or varied by a 
later decision of the Board published in the manner provided in sub- section (1). 
 
 
1Subs. by Act No. XXVI of 2026, ss. 3 & 4. 
 
 
 
 
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12. Decision of Board to be deemed to be an award of the Commission.―A decision 
of the Board published under section 11 shall be deemed to be an award of the Full Bench of the 
Commission and, subject to the provisions of this Act, all the provisions of the Ordinance applicable 
to such award, including the provisions of sections 51 and 55 thereof, so for as may be and with the 
necessary modifications, shall apply to the decision of the Board. 
 
Explanation.―For the avoidance of doubt, it  is hereby declared that the decision of the 
Second Wage Board for Working Journalists published in the Extraordinary issue of the Gazette of West 
Pakistan, dated the 7th January, 1970, shall be d eemed to have been published as required by the 
Ordinance. 
 
1[12A. Tribunal.―(1) The Federal Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, 
constitute a Tribunal consisting of one or more members to implement the decision of the Board 
under section 11. 
 
(2) The Chairman and members of the Tribunal shall be appointed by the Federal 
Government on such terms and conditions as it may determine. 
 
(3) Where the Tribunal consists of one member only, that member, and, where the Tribunal 
consists of more members than one, the member designated by the Federal Government, shall be 
the Chairman of the Tribunal. 
 
(4) The Chairman of the Tribunal shall be a person who has been, or is, or is 
qualified to be, a Judge of a High Court. 
 
(5) The qualifications for appointment as a member of the Tribunal shall be determined by 
the Federal Government.] 
 
13. Powers of the 1[Tribunal].―(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in section 64 of 
the Ordinance, the 2[Tribunal] shall have power― 
 
(a)  to try an offence punishable under section 55 of the Ordinance, if the 
offence relates to failure to implement any decision of the Board; 
 
(b)  of its own motion, or on the application of a party, to withdraw from 
any Cou rt  (except  the  Supreme  Court  or  a  High  Court)  any  
application, proceeding or appeal relating to such an offence and dispose of  
it; and 
 
(c)  refer any su ch application, proceeding or appeal to any s uch competent 
Court for disposal. 
 
 (2) Any Court to which any application, proceeding or appeal is referred under clause 
(c) of subsection (1) shall enquire into it and dispose of the case as if the application or appeal 
had originally been made to it or, as the case may be, the proceeding had originally commenced 
before it. 
 
 
 
 
1 Subs. by Act No. LXXVIII of 1976, ss. 2 & 3. 
2  Subs. by Act No. LVI  of 1975, s. 4,.
 
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(3) For the trial of an offence referred to in sub-section (1), the 
1
[Tribunal] shall follow the 
same procedure and exercise the same powers as 2[the Commission] follows and exercises  for  the  
trial  of  an  offence  under  the  Ordinance,  and  the  provisions  of  the O rdinance other than the 
provisions of sub-section (9) of  section 22A, thereof, shall so far as may be and with the necessary 
modifications, apply to such trial. 
 
3[4[(4)] The T ribunal shall have the po wer to  issue a di rection which a Labour Cou rt h as 
under sub-section (1) of section 51 of the Ordinance.]. 
 
5[(5) Subject to any rules of procedure which may be prescribed, the Tribunal may, for the 
purpose of determining the category of  a newspaper establishment or the grade of a n ewspaper 
employee or otherwise holding an inquiry for the purpose of implementing the d ecision of the 
Board, exercise the same powers and follow the same procedure, so far as may be and with the 
necessary modifications, as the Commission may exercise or follow for the purpose of adjudicating 
an industrial dispute under the Ordinance. 
 
(6) The Tribunal may require a newspaper establishment to file a declaration in such form 
and give such information as the Tribunal may determine or require.]. 
 
6[13A. Appeal from sentence of Tribunal. Any p erson convicted and sentenced by the  
Tribunal under section 55 of the Ordinance to imprisonment for any period not less than six months 
may, with the leave of the Supreme Court, prefer an appeal to that Court.] 
 
 7[13B. Benches of the Tribunal, etc.― (1) The Chairman of the Tribunal shall 
exercise general superintendence over its affairs. 
 
(2) Where the Tribunal consist of more members than one,― 
 
(a)  the Chairman shall constitute as many benches of the Tribunal consisting 
 of one or more members of the Tribunal as he may deem fit; and 
 
(b)  if any member of the Tribunal who constitutes a bench, or is a member 
 of a bench, is absent from, or otherwise unable to attend, any sitting of a 
 bench, the Chairman of the  Tribunal may take over the case himself, or 
 transfer it to another bench, for disposal; and the Chairman, or, as the case 
 may be, the other bench, may continue the proceedings from the stage they 
 had reached.]. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1 Subs. by the Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) (Amdt.) Act, 1975 (56 of 1975), s. 4, for “Commission”. 
2 Subs. ibid., for “it”. 
3 New sub-section (3A) added ibid., s. 4. 
4 Re-numbered as sub-section (4) and shall be deemed to have been so re-numbered on the twenty-first day of July, 1975 by the Newspaper 
  Employees (Conditions of Service) (Amdt.) Act, 1976 (78 of 1976), s. 3. 
5 New sub-sections (5) and (6) added and shall be deemed always to have been so added on the twenty-first day of July, 1975, ibid. 
6 New S. 13A ins. by Act 56 of 1975, s. 5. 
7 New S. 13B added by Act 78 of 1976, s. 4. 
 
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14. Powers and procedure of the Board. Subject to any rules of procedure which may be 
prescribed, the Board may, for the purpose of fixing rates of wages, exercise the same powers 
and follow the same procedure, so far as may be and with the necessary modi fications, as the 
Commission may exercise or follow for the purpose of adjudicating an industrial dispute under the 
Ordinance. 
 
15. Decision of the Board to be binding on all employers. The decision of the Board 
shall be binding on all employers in relation to newspaper establishments, and every n ewspaper 
employee shall be entitled to be paid wages at a rate which shall, in no case, be less than the rate of 
wages fixed by the Board. 
 
 16. Powers of Board to fix i nterim rates of wages .―(1) Notwithstanding anything  
contained in this Act, where the Board is of the opinion that it is necessary so to do, it may, by 
notification in the official Gazette, fix interim rates of wages in respect of newspaper employees. 
 
(2) Any interim rate of  wages so fixed sh all be binding on all employers in relation to 
newspaper establishments, and every newspaper employee shall be entitled to be paid wages at a 
rate which shall, in no case, be less than the interim rate of wages fixed under sub- section (1). 
 
(3) Any interim rate of wages fixed under subsection (1) shall remain in force until the 
decision of the Board comes into operation under sub-section (2) of section 11. 
 
1[16A. Additional power of Board and Tribunal. The Board and the Tribunal shall have 
the same power to punish their respective contempts as the Commission has under section 22C of 
the Ordinance. 
 
17. W. P. Ordinance VI of 1968 to apply to newspaper establishment. The provisions of 
the West Pakistan Industrial and, Commercial Employment (Standing O rders) O rdinance, 1968 
(W.P. Ord. No. V of 1968), as in force for the time being, other than those contained in Standing 
Order 2 and clauses (1) and (2) of Standing Order 12 thereof, shall, subject to the other provisions 
of this Act, apply to every newspaper establishment wherein ten or more newspaper employees are 
employed or were employed on any day of the twelve months preceding the coming into force of 
this Act as if such newspaper establishment were an industrial establishment to which the aforesaid 
Ordinance has been applied by a notification under clause (c) of sub-section (4) of section 1 thereof, 
and as if a newspaper employee were a workman within the meaning of that Ordinance 1[:] 
 
1[Provided that the provisions of this section shall not apply to a person who is employed as 
the editor of a newspaper]. 
 
 Explanation.―For the avoidance of doubt, it is hereby declared that provisions of  Standing 
Orders 10B and 11, clauses (6) and (8) of Standing Order 12 and Standing Order  15 of the aforesaid 
Ordinance shall apply only to a newspaper establishment which fulfils the cond itions laid down 
therein. 
 
1 Added and subs by Act No.  LXXVIII of 1976, ss. 5 & 6. 
 
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18. O rdinance XXIII of  1969 to a pply to newspaper employees.— Subject to the oth er 
provisions of 1[this Act] the provisions of the Ordinance shall apply to, or in relation to, 
newspaper employees, as they apply to,  or in relation to, workmen within the meaning of the 
Ordinance : 
 
Provided that nothing in this section applies to a newspaper employee 
 
(i)  who is employed mainly in a managerial or administrative capacity 1[or is 
the editor of a newspaper,] or 
 
(ii)  who, being employed in a supervisory capacity, performs, either because of 
the nature of duties attached to his office or by reason of the powers vested 
in him functions mainly of a managerial nature. 
  
 19. Effect of laws and agreements inconsistent with this Act.―(1) The provisions of this 
Act shall have effect notwithstanding anything inconsistence therewith contained in any other law or 
in the terms of any award, agreement or contract of service, whether made before or alter the coming 
into force of this Act: 
Provided  th at,  subj ect  to  the  p rovisions  of  section  73  of  the  West  Pakistan 
Employees’ Social Security Ordinance, 1965 (W.P. Ord. No. X of 1965), where under any such 
award, agreement, contract of service or otherwise, a newspaper employee is entitled to benefits in 
respect of any matter which are more favourable to him than those to which he would be entitled 
under this Act, the newspaper employee shall continue to be entitled to the more favourable benefits 
in respect of that matter notwithstanding that ho receives benefits in respect of other matters under 
this Act. 
 
(2) Nothing contained in this Act shall be construed to preclude any newspaper employee 
from entering into an agreement with an employer for granting him rights or privileges in respect of 
any matter which are more favourable to him than those to which he would be  entitled under this 
Act. 
 
 20. Inspectors.―(1) The Federal Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, 
appoint such persons as it thinks fit to be Inspectors for the purposes of this Act within such local 
limits as it may assign to them respectively. 
(2) An Inspector sh all perform within the local limits assigned to him such functions in 
relation to the  implementation of the  decision of the Board published under section 11 as may be 
prescribed. 
  
(3) An Inspector may 
 
(a)  at all reasonable hours enter on the premises of any newspaper establishment 
and make such examination of any register or document relating to the 
implementation of the d ecision of the Board published under section 11 and 
take on the spot or otherwise evidence of any person relevant to such 
implementation as he may deem necessary ; 
 
1 Subs. and ins.  by Act No. LXXVIII of 1976, s. 7.
 
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(b)  exercise  such  other  powers  of  inspection  as  he  may deem  necessary for 
carrying out the purposes of this Act. 
 
 21. Offences and penalties.―(1) Whoever contravenes the provisions of section 6 shall be 
punishable with fine which may extend to two thousand rupees. 
 
 (2) Whoever contravenes any of the provisions of this Act or any rule made, or deemed to 
have been made, thereunder shall, if no other penalty is elsewhere provided by or under this Act for 
such contravention, be punishable with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees. 
 
 (3) Where the person guilty of an offence under this Act is a company or  other body 
corporate, every director, manager, secretary and other officer thereof shall, unless he proves that the 
offence was committed without his knowledge or th at he exercised all due diligence to prevent its 
commission also be guilty of the same offence and liable to the same punishment. 
 
 (4) No Court shall take cognizance of an offence under this Act unless the complaint thereof 
is made within six months of the date on which the offence is alleged to have been committed. 
 
1[21A. Chairman, etc., to be public servants. The Chairman of the Board and the Chairman  
and members  of  the  T ribunal  shall  be  deemed  to  be  public  s ervants  within  the meaning of 
section 21 of the Pakistan Penal Code (Act XLV of 1860)]. 
 
22. Indemnity. No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall lie against any person or 
authority for anything which is in good faith done or intended to be done in pursuance of this Act or 
any rule made, or deemed to have been made, thereunder. 
 
 23. Power to make rules.―(1) The Federal Government may, by notification in the official 
Gazette, make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act. 
(2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules 
may provide for all or any of the following matters, namely:― 
 
(a)  hours of work of newspaper employees ; 
 
(b)  holidays, earned leave, leave on medical certificate, casual leave or any 
other kind of leave admissible to newspaper employees; 
 
(c)  the constitution of Provident Fund; 
 
(d)  the constitution of Board of Trustees for the administration  of Provident 
 Fund; 
 
(e)  the procedure for regulating the management and administration of Provident 
 Fund and the conditions subject to which such Fund shall operate; 
 
(f )  the procedure to be followed by the Board in fixing rates of wages; 
 
1 Added by Act No. LXXVIII of 1976, s. 8.
 
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(g)  the manner in which the decision of the Board may be published; 1* 
 
2[(gg) the procedure to be followed by the Tribunal in determining the categories of 
newspaper establishments or grades of n ewspaper employees or holdi ng an 
inquiry for the purpose of implementing the decision of the Board; and]. 
 
(h) any other matter which is to be or may be prescribed. 
 
3[23A. Continuation of powers. The powers conferred by t his Act on the Federal 
Government shall, as from the fourteenth day of  August, 1973, continue to be exercised by the 
Federal Government.] 
 
 24. Repeal and savings .―(1) The Working Journalists (Conditions of Service)  Ordinance, 
1960, (XVI of 1960), is hereby repealed. 
(2) Notwithstanding the repeal of the said Ordinance, and without prejudice to the provisions 
of section 24 of  the General Clauses Act, 1897 (X of 1897), anything don e, appointment made, 
notification, order or rule issued, form prescribed proceedings commenced, or action taken under 
that Ordinance shall, so far as it is not inconsistent with the p rovisions of this  Act, continue in 
force and be deemed to have been made, issued or taken under the provisions of this Act. 
 
_____________ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1 The word “and” omitted by the Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) (Amdt.) Act, 1976 (78 of 1976), s. 9. 
2 New Cl. (gg) ins. ibid., 
3 New S. 23A ins. and shall be deemed to have been so ins. on the 14th day of August, 1973, by the Labour Laws (Amdt.) Act, 1975 (11 of 1975), s. 2 
and Sch., 
 
 
          Dated 07-04-2026