The production of Kannada films, which was affected owing to a strike by workers demanding revision in wages, will restart on Wednesday. Negotiations at Karmikara Bhavan on Tuesday were successful as the workers agreed to work for the wages fixed three years ago.
Speaking to The Hindu , Ashok, president, Karnataka Film Workers Artists’ and Technicians’ Federation, said that considering the situation in the Kannada film industry, workers agreed to work for the old wages for the next four months. “The Labour Department has promised to sort out the issue between the producers and workers by that time,” he said.
Producers of around 10 major films, who were affected for the last two days, are now relieved. However, workers had cooperated with some producers, who had agreed to pay revised wages, according to Raveendranth, secretary of the federation.
Workers affiliated to the federation have been demanding revision of wages for the last two months. The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC), which was hitherto the mediator passed the buck to the Kannada Film Producers’ Association (KFPA). In the course of the meeting, the KFPA even threatened to form its own workers’ union.
Earlier in the day, Munirathna, chairperson, KFPA, said the success rate in the Kannada film industry was abysmal and producers were not in a position to pay the wages being demanded by workers.
“We will cooperate with any workers’ association, which agrees to work on our terms,” he said, referring to another film workers’ union headed by Rajesh Brahmavar.
According to the guidelines framed by the KFCC, film workers are eligible for wage revision once in three years. The previous agreement between the workers’ federation and KFCC expired in August.
“We are demanding revision of wages in view of spiralling prices of essential commodities. Even skilled construction workers are getting higher minimum wage compared with film workers,” said Mr. Raveendranath.
Interestingly, the parallel workers’ union is ready to work for existing wages.
