| MUMBAI
: Phew! The whole TV industry heaved a sigh of relief as the face-off between
the wage workers/technicians of the film and TV industry and producers came to
an end after a marathon four-hour discussion between the parties. The
Federation of Western India Cine Employess (FWICE) and three of the produers associations
-- the Film and TV Producers Guild (FTPG), the Indian Motion Picture Producers
Association (IMPPA), and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers
(AMPTP) -- were holed up together post-lunch and hammered out a solution which
they signed around 8 pm. According
to Film and TV Producers Guild vice-president Dheeraj Kumar, work and shootings
resumed at around 8 pm today. Says Kumar, "There were issues regarding member-to-member
working (no non-members of the FWICE should be used by members), shift timings
and payments for longer hours. The revised wages had been agreed to 10 months
ago but they accepted the terms and signed them today. It is a clear sign of the
solidarity in the industry that the three producers' associations and the workers'
association sat down to find a solution for the benefit of the industry."
FWICE president Dharmesh Tiwari said that the three producers associations
and the FWICE mutually agreed on issues and signed a memorandum-of-understanding
(MoU) which meant the revised terms would become effective from 4 October. "The
12.5 per cent revision which was asked by us has been accepted. But a new accord
will have to be drawn up by the end of this year (2008) as the earlier wage agreement
will expire then."
The strike was in its third day and the
FWICE had decided to resort to non-cooperation to ensure better wages, work conditions
for its 150,000 odd members. The strike affects all 22 crafts including actors,
technicians, and musicians. But
some producers were not too happy. Says one of them, "Going by the revised
terms, my margins are likely to be hit because broadcasters are at times unreasonable
about the creatives of our shows, in the process sending our production schedules
haywire. And in the process, our costs too." He
further questions, "If I have to use a crew for a show for an extra half-shift
because of the whims of a creative director of a channel, who is going to reimburse
me for that." Kumar
says that the producers have had a meeting with the broadcasters body and the
latter had said they were not averse to paying any extra costs which may accrue
on account of the new agreement.
| What
did the FWICE want and get - Wages
of workers to be paid as the memorandum-of-understanding (MoU) signed between
producers association and FWICE
- No
non-member should be employed by producers
- Payments
to members of the Allied Mazdoor Union should be through the union or directly
to workers; no middle-man should be employed
- A
stop to Indian dancers losing their jobs to foreigners and non-members
- A
one-hour break between shoots should be given to all workers for lunch and dinner
-
Basic amenties like a changing room and toilets should be provided to junior artistes
during outdoor shoots
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