Film employees want more than 32 per cent revision in wages in Tollywood

The A P Film Industry Employees Federation, comprising 13,000 film industry workers from all the 24 crafts, is gearing up to demand a hefty hike in wages.
As per rules, the wages will have to be revised every three years. Now with the three years period almost coming to an end, the federation will soon put forward its demand to the A P Film Chamber of Commerce to effect the revision in wages.
After a protracted battle with producers three years ago, which resulted in the Telugu film industry shutting down for nearly a month, film workers got their due increase in wages. Producers were against revising the wages as a result of which film workers went on a strike for a few days. When he producers were still adamant, the A P Film Industry Employees Federation called for a complete shutdown of the industry. As a result of the strike, the wages were increased by 32 per cent. Film workers refused to cooperate with producers who were unwilling to pay the revised wages. Producers finally reconciled themselves to the situation and gave in to the demand when some prominent people of the film industry intervened to bring the strike to an end.
The revision of wages is to take place in March next year and the federation will hold a meeting of all the crafts in the next couple of months. ���Though the last time it was 32 per cent increase in wages, this time, the hike should be more because of the price rise,��� K Rajeshwar Reddy, general secretary of the A P Film Industry Employees Federation said. This sure will not be good news to film producers.
Such is the hold of the federation over all the workers of the 24 crafts that no one will work for a producer who does not pay them the due wages. Three years ago, film producers had threatened to go outside the state for shootings.
The All India Film Employees Confederation (AIFEC), which is the apex body of film workers in the country, was promptly intimated by the federation about the threat of the Telugu Film Producers Council (TFPC). Consequent to the federation taking up the issue with the AIFEC, the body issued messages to all film bodies in every state not to cooperate with Telugu film producers if they were shooting anywhere in the country when the strike in AP was on.