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Journalism of Courage
MUMBAI, June 18: The Shiv Sena has finally managed to muscle its way into Bollywood’s artistes’ unions – an area where even the late Datta Samant had not been too successful in spite of his repeated attempts. Producers unhappy with the wage hike demanded by the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) have launched their own artistes’ union called Film Craft Union (FCU). And they have Shiv Sena’s blessings.
The rumblings began when Pappu Verma, the well-known stunt director, took over the presidentship of the FWICE, the 75-year-old workers’ body, to which 17 craft unions of Bollywood bear allegiance to.
Verma took over from Chandrashekar, the veteran actor who headed the federation for over a decade. Chandrashekar, an amiable man, had been able to keep the union together without getting into a confrontation with the producers.
Shiv Sena Chitrapat Shakha chief Gajanan Shirke, one of the presidents of the Film Makers Combine (FMC) in charge of labour, is of the opinion that it was because of Verma’s militant stance that the FMC had to launch a separate body.
“The wage hike demanded by FWICE is so steep that ordinary producers can’t afford to engage workers. FWICE insists on the same rates whether the film costs Rs 50 lakh or Rs 10 crore,” he said. “Often producers are made to shell out more than what has already been agreed upon.”
According to Shirke, “Low-budget producers who are worst hit were pressurising us to set up a parallel body to protect their interests.
“Though FCU was formed and registered last year, we had not begun functioning as the FWICE had promised to discipline its members. But they have failed to do so.”
Until recently the FWICE enjoyed a monopoly and nobody dared challenge its diktat. In fact the craft unions controlled by FWICE had shut their doors for new entrants. Even if they did relent in “exceptional” cases they charged exorbitant admission rates. For instance if a dancer or a stunt-artiste wanted to join films, he or she was made to pay Rs 15,000 as entrance fee. “Even the Junior Artistes Association (JAA) charges a membership entrance of Rs 10,000 for a `class A’ junior artiste and Rs 5,000 for a `class B’ artiste,” said Shirke.
However, R C Das, general secretary of the FWICE says all the 17 craft unions are autonomous and the FWICE as a parent body does not impose its wishes on them. “Since the FMC and the Association of Motion Picture and Television Programme Producers have recognised FCU, our agreement with them stands terminated. We are not going to settle disputes arising between producers and cine workers henceforth,” Das said condemning the “divide-and-rule” policy of producers.
