2.5 LAKH FILM, TV INDUSTRY WORKERS GO ON STRIKE; MAJOR SHOWS TO BE AFFECTED

The film fraternity went upside down when news broke of about 2,50,000 cine workers and employees going on an indefinite strike starting August 15 demanding various issues pending with the producers be addressed at the earliest. The strike could affect major films and television shows.

According to reports, spot boys, junior artistes, and all other workers on film and television sets are a part of the strike under the aegis of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE). “We are going on a strike with our long-pending demands. The workers are being made to work for over eight hours a day. There is a major issue of their safety. No provision has been made for the security of the workers,” FWICE president Birendra Nath Tiwari had told PTI.

He said the workers had raised a similar demand in 2015 and were then assured by the producers that their increments would be raised by 13% in the first year, “which never happened.”

“The producers said they were facing losses due to GST , demonetisation etc. and had settled for a 7.5% hike for the workers of the elite unions. But, those on a monthly basis are suffering. They are being treated as slaves,” he added.

According to Tiwari, the grievance of the workers was largely against the television producers and not the film producers. “The workers do not get payments even after 90 days. By then, the producer says let’s settle the matter because he is facing losses. We have always been supportive, but things are just not working now,” he said.

And with effect to it, big projects including Shah Rukh Khan’s next film, which is being directed by Aanand L. Rai, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati and Amitabh Bachchan’s Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 9 are likely to be affected.