In a process underway since May 2007, a wage board established by the Indian legislature met today with newspaper employees, their unions, and their employers in the central city of Lucknow, The Press Trust of India today reported. Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, which publishes 11,789 of the country's 74,000 newspapers, The Indo-Asian News Service in July reported.

Board chairman Justice G R Majithia along with nine other members visited Uttar Pradesh for two days to gather more information toward establishing a minimum rate of pay nationwide for editorial and non-editorial employees alike. The board's recommendations are due to the legislature in May 2010, according the board's enabling legislation.

Strides to impose a fair wage on local publishers come even as India opens its journalism market to global brands such as The Wall Street Journal, as reported by The Business Standard in December 2008. Under the new standards, foreign publications can run content entirely from abroad, Mint reported in September 2008.

The government has not made clear whether any wage board findings adopted by the legislature would apply to foreign publishing houses based in India which, even if hiring no editorial staff, will likely rely on local talent for the non-editorial functions associated with production.