Row in Malayalam filmdom takes new turn

The ongoing row between Film Employees Federation of Kerala FEFKA and AITUC-affiliated Malayalam Cine Technicians Association MACTA in Malayalam filmdom has taken a new turn with AITUC leader Kanam Rajendran demanding that Culture Minister M A Baby be sacked for taking sides on the issue. Kanam Rajendran said Baby had 8216;violated the oath by writing a letter to All India Film Employees Confederation AIFEC recommending that FEFKA be affiliated in the national body of film employees.
However,Baby denied he had sent any such letter to AIFEC. He said the Culture Ministry was unnecessarily being dragged into the issue as it was purely a labour matter. In a bid to distance himself from the row,Baby told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram that the government had set up a committee to sort out the issues plaguing the film industry and anyone who had grievances could approach it.

Rajendran made the remarks inaugurating a march of MACTA workers led by director Vinayan on June 16 demanding the governments intervention to settle the problems in the film field including denial of job to a section of technicians and actors who were not part of FEFKA.
According to Vinayan,the Culture Minister was only keen on protecting the interests of superstars,while actor Thilakan said the issue of job denial was not being properly addressed by the government.

FEFKA General Secretary B Unnikrishnan said that his organisation already had reached an understanding with AIFEC during its national conference eight months back.
Unnikrishnan said he was at a loss to understand the problem raised by MACTA and AITUC.
FEFKA,which was formed by splitting MACTA,had applied for affiliation with the national body of film employees which was a trade union like AITUC,he said.

As of now,the original MACTA has affiliation with AIFEC and they had moved court seeking injunction to prevent FEFKA from getting affiliation. This is ironic as MACTA through the move is disowning AITUC affiliation and they have to explain it, Unnikrishnan said.
He said the affiliation was merely an understanding between film organisations in states and the national outfit of film workers. This has nothing to do with other trade unions, he said.