Indian film producers feel harassed at film employees’ demands, FFI takes up issue

HYDERABAD: With film employees dictating terms to producers, the Film Federation of India has decided to take measures to safeguard the interests of producers.
The Film Federation of India (FFI) will soon hold talks with the All India Film Employees Confederation (AIFEC) on issues concerning wages. The main issue is also about giving the producer the liberty to hire workers, even if they do not belong to the film employees’ federations.
The issue cropped up recently in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana with the A P Film Industry Employees Federation going on a strike. No shootings were allowed to take place. Though film producers and the A P Film Chamber of Commerce gave in to their demand and increased their wages, the employees took objection to two clauses. One of the clauses provided producers the liberty to hire workers for a film, even if they were not part 24 crafts of the federation.
Another clause was that the new wages should not be made applicable to small films. This was not acceptable to the federation which went on strike.
However, the employees got back to work as it was pointed out to them that a producer from Mumbai had approached the Competition Commission of India (CCI) on the issue. “We will wait for the outcome in CCI on the two clauses but meanwhile we called off the strike and shootings are taking place as usual,” K Rajeshwara Reddy, general secretary of the A P Film Industry Employees Federation said.
With producers unhappy with the functioning of film employees who are seen to be dictating terms to producers, the Film Federation of India (FFI) has jumped into the picture to resolve the issue.
“There has also been an incident of a film shooting being attacked in West Bengal. The producer had to return back to Mumbai for shooting,” FFI secretary general Supran Sen said. The shooting was reportedly attacked by the local employees’ federation which was against workers who were not part of the federation being hired.
Supran Sen said a meeting of the FFI was held on December 17 during which it was decided to hold talks with the All India Film Employees Confederation (AIFEC) and resolve the issue.
While the Competition Commission of India (CCI) will hear arguments on the issue of restrictions being imposed by film employees that are said to be detrimental to the interests of producers, the FFI intends to make an attempt to see that the issue is resolved amicably.
“It is question concerning the entire film industry in the country. We want to resolve this so that producers do not have problems with film employees’ bodies,” Supran Sen said.