Bollywood workers will no longer cooperate with their employers from today. Workers are asking for higher wages and earlier payment – a major problem with some studios. SRK and Amitabh have stated they will not work today in support of the workers.
Dinesh Chaturvedi, General Secretary of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees said, “Since this morning we are not going to sets and that has resulted in the cancellation of many shootings. We will not report to work until the dispute is settled. In all 22 unions varying from actors to technicians are supporting our demand and 1,47,000 people have not reported to work today bringing all the shootings to halt.”
In addition to problems over wages, the unions are also angry at studios employing non-union labour. “They are also employing people who are not associated with our unions and thus cheating our workers of work,” said Chaturvediji. “It is not a strike but just a non process of non-cooperation. A film worker gets Rs 600 per day and a television worker gets Rs 500. The least the producers can do is pay them on time.”
An actress said, “We work 12 hour shifts and not eight according to the rules. The worse part is that we get paid after 90 days after the work is done and not within 60 days as the rules say – even though we have signed proper contracts. It is unjust. To make it worse, if we protest then the producers say there are many other fishes in the sea and they sack us. So, one has to give in to the demands of producers as there is too much competition in the market.”
