On a February afternoon last year, in the basement of the Press Trust of India, Delhi office, a celebratory meeting of sorts was organised. Attendees addressed each other as “comrade” and spoke out against “crony-capitalist” managements, as they washed down soggy vegetable sandwiches with lukewarm milky tea.

Just over a week ago, the Supreme Court had upheld the Justice GR Majithia Wage Board recommendations, dismissing challenges by managements of various newspapers – and the revelry was in anticipation of better benefits and higher salaries.

However, amid the celebration, Colin Gonsalves, the man who had fought – and won – the case for the five federations representing journalists and non-journalists, had a note of warning. “ The battle is only half-won, getting the organisations to implement will be the real test,” he had told me then.

Gonsalves was right.

If the court battle against wealthy newspaper proprietors represented by some of the country’s best lawyers including Fali Nariman and KK Venugopal was difficult, getting newspaper managements to implement it has turned out to be even tougher.

In a recent development though, the unions have found an unlikely ally in this steep battle: the Delhi government. Following a meeting with the Majithia Wage Board Implementation Sangharsh Samiti that was attended by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, the Delhi government has now appointed a special officer to supervise the implementation of the Majithia Wage Board’s recommendations. According to news reports, the chief minister has directed the department of labour to submit a report to him on the status of implementation of the board. The department of labour has also been asked to immediately set up a monitoring committee for regular supervision of the wage board implementation.

So will the Delhi government succeed in doing something that a Supreme Court order hasn’t quite managed?

SK Pandey, General Secretary, Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ), tells me that it is a good beginning. “But you must note that there are committees which decide and committees which just talk,” he says.  According to Pandey, the DUJ had submitted a detailed memorandum to the government with their grievances when it came to power the last time. “The Labour Minister had assured us action then but nothing concrete came out of it. Now that the CM has personally taken it up, things will hopefully move fast but we cannot just wait and watch for too long now,” he remarks.

Pandey says that in the guise of implementing the wage board, several journalists have been put on “not-so-voluntary retirement”. “Big newspaper establishments often transfer employees to remote destinations in lieu of giving benefits as mandated by the wage board,” he alleges.

Pandey’s contentions about newspaper houses resorting to insidious methods to avoid implementing the wage board might well be more than accurate, but they are extremely difficult to prove. Therein lies the heart of the problem.  Take for instance the story of Deccan Herald journalist Suresh Nandi. Nandi claims that when he refused to sign a document that would have meant curtailing of certain benefits in exchange of availing benefits of the wage board, he was transferred to Guwahati as punishment. The newspaper management, however, strongly denies the accusation and claims that it was a routine transfer. Indeed, there is no way to prove otherwise.

A similar story also played out at Dainik Jagran, albeit in much more volatile fashion, where employees claim they were arm-twisted into signing a contract, but the management maintains that it was done on mutually agreeable terms.

Sujata Madhok, President of DUJ, claims the move by the Kejriwal government is not unique. “Even the previous government had set up a similar committee, but the only thing they did was, send notices to small newspaper establishments,” she says. Madhok also pointed out that jurisdiction would be an issue since many media houses have offices in Noida. Dainik Jagran, which is witnessing what is perhaps the most spirited battle against the management, is located in Noida where the Delhi government has no control.

Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, media commentator, says the Delhi government’s move will only work to a certain extent. “If an organisation can convince enough people to work on contract and on higher salaries, the government can do very little,” he opines. Thakurta, though, believes that for people who do come under the wage board, the governmental intervention will lead to more effective implementation.

Hartosh Singh Bal, Political Editor, The Caravan, doesn’t think governmental intervention in an issue like this is a bright idea. “Although I am a strong advocate of the wage board’s recommendations, such coercive powers in the hands of the government is hugely problematic”, he says.  Bal asserts that this could be used to muzzle the media. “Tomorrow there is a story against the government, and you could have a government inspector landing in your office,” he argues.

This Tuesday, April 28, the Supreme Court will hear a contempt petition against the management of Dainik Jagran for non-implementation of the Majithia Wage Board. Kejriwal has said that he will consider Majithia Wage Board Implementation Sangharsh Samiti’s demand of Delhi government’s intervention in the case.

Parmanand Pandey, the lawyer who is representing the workers in the case, says even though implementation of the Majithia Wage Board is a state subject and the Delhi government is constitutionally bound to enforce implementation, it is unlikely to intervene in the court proceedings. “The government should start by collecting data about revenue, staff, circulation of newspapers so that we can make our case stronger,” states Pandey.

The Supreme Court judgement on this contempt case (non- implementation of its order on the Majithia Wage Board) is set to be a watershed moment. This is the first time employees of an organisation have taken on the management en masse after the court upheld the Majithia Wage Board last year.  In fact, a ruling in favour of the Dainik Jagran employees may just be the shot in the arm that unions across the country need to rally effectively against proprietors and management. As Madhok tells me, “The unions’ action is the key to effective implementation, the government can only do so much in a situation like this.”