From tomorrow, August 4, filming across Telugu cinema, including movies and web series, will come to a standstill unless producers agree to a 30 % wage increase, say heads of the Telugu Film Industry Employees’ Federation (TFIEF). The Federation constitutes all 24 categories of employees and workers in the Telugu cinema industry, from technical crew to production staff.
In a letter issued on Sunday evening, the Federation stated that members will not attend shoots unless each production sends a formal letter agreeing to the revised pay structure, addressed to all relevant unions.
“As per the meeting held today, the Federation decided that from tomorrow (Aug 4), a 30 % wage hike should be given. Unless producers send a letter stating they will implement this hike and send it to unions, there will be no shooting. Until then, members should not report for shoots anywhere,” reads the Federation notice.
Only productions complying with the new structure will be permitted to proceed, say Federation leaders. Workers have insisted that the increased salaries must be disbursed on the same day of shooting.
As per industry reports, dialogue between workers and the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce over wage revision has been ongoing for months. While the Federation has long pushed for a 30 % increase, the Chamber reportedly offered only a 5 % rise, which the Federation rejected as inadequate.
With cost-of-living rising and workers citing stagnant wages over the last three years, the Federation maintains its demand is reasonable and overdue. They argue that despite box-office hits in recent times, wage growth has not kept pace with inflation.
In previous negotiations, wage revision agreements were supposed to occur every three years, but this cycle lapsed on June 30 without resolution. Now, unless talks yield agreement, film shootings are expected to halt industry-wide from tomorrow.
Federation representatives are due to meet producers again, but with the deadline looming, the industry may face delays or disruptions in upcoming shoots until a consensus is reached.
