The Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), on Thursday, urged the management of Nepal One channel to address the legitimate demands and concerns raised by the journalists working there.

At a discussion programme at Media Village, the FNJ said it expresses solidarity with the agitating journalists and warned it would be compelled to join their agitation if the channel management does not pay heed to their concerns soon.

At the programme, FNJ president Bishnu Nishthuri said the federation was fully behind the agitating journalists. FNJ general secretary Mahendra Bista urged the government to become serious about journalists’ demand and warned that FNJ will take stringent measures if the management did not choose to find way out through talks.

Maheshwore Dahal, Advisor of the Information and Communication Ministry, said that the FNJ should lead the agitation and assured of full government cooperation towards the agitating journalists.

Meanwhile, nine days have passed since journalists of the television channel launched their agitation by putting forth 20-point demands. Although talks was to take place among the representatives of agitating journalists, management and the government at the Ministry of Labour on Friday, it could not proceed after management representatives informed they did not have authority to fulfill the demands, says a press release issued by Rewati Sapkota, secretary of the agitation committee of the journalists.

The journalists have raised demands like providing appointment letters, fixing working hours, regular payment of salaries and so on. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), too, has expressed solidarity with their demands.