Workers demand regulated hours

Says Dinesh Chaturvedi,General Secretary,Federation of Western India Cine Employees,If it was one day,it wouldnt be such a big deal. This has been happening continuously for the past 20 days now,which is why we set up a vigilance committee and since August 25,six buses have been deployed to do the rounds of the various sets to monitor the scene. We found that lunch break for a 9 am shift,which is scheduled at 1 pm often extends to 5 pm. In such cases we stopped the shoot,asked them to have lunch and then allowed them to continue. We did a similar thing after we found that the dinner break was not given on the scheduled time.

The sets where the shoot was disrupted included Kavita Barjatyas Yahan Mein Ghar Ghar Kheli,Sanjay Wadhwas shows including Balika Vadhu,and J D Majethias Mera Naam Karegi Roshan among others.

In fact,the workers have told producers to hire a different staff if their shift continues beyond the scheduled time. When we are producing daily soaps there are times when the shoot extends due to some unavoidable circumstances. We are even willing to pay them overtime,but the workers are not ready to accept that. However,Chaturvedi had a different take. According to him,before daily soaps came into the picture,workers used to get an off day every second Sunday. But TV producers requested us to do away with our holiday. We agreed to their demand but now they are asking to extend our shift timings. Even though the trade union has curtailed the number of working hours to 8,we have had to extend ours to 12. Unfortunately even that is not being adhered to. A worker/ artiste is called at 9 am for 9 to 7 shift which often extends to 2 in the night. After this,he is again expected to report the next day at 9 am.

When contacted,Dheeraj Kumar,Chairperson,Film amp; TV Producers Guild said that this was illogical. Anybody knows that if you return late you cannot come at the scheduled time the next day. We understand that but what is unacceptable is the workers demanding we hire a different staff after their scheduled shift is over. Also their demand that a 9 am shift should be counted from 9 am and pack-up at 9 pm is irrational. We are telling them to start counting the hours from when the shoot begins.

Workers are also complaining that they find it difficult to travel when the shoot is concluded at 2 am. If you are shooting at a place like Naigaon,how do you expect the workers to go back home when there are no trains or buses at that unearthly hour? You have to understand that they cannot afford to hire cabs, says Chaturvedi. Kumar,who himself is producing a couple of shows,understands this situation and opines that he is willing to provide transportation and other benefits to workers in such cases. He contends that they have to come out with a schedule where shooting is not stopped and are working towards that.

The problems have also escalated because a MoU Memorandum Of Understanding on the issue between the two is yet been signed. According to the MoU,informs Chaturvedi,the workers are to get a wage hike of 10 per cent in January 2010 with another five per cent raise in January 2011 as well as a seven and a half per cent hike in January 2012 to which the producers guild has already agreed. However,since the memorandum hasnt been signed,the producers are paying the workers as per the old wage rate. At the time of going to the press,Mahesh Bhatt was going to mediate between the two warring parties.