Tollywood lightmen launch strike seeking wage revision

HYDERABAD:The Telugu Cine & TV Outdoor Lightmen Union (TCTOLU) has launched an indefinite strike over wage revision. The workers demand that the Telugu Film Industry Employees Federation (TFIEF) and Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) revise the minimum wages as proposed in 2014.
“It has been the norm to revise the minimum wages every three years. It’s been over four years and they haven’t addressed our issues. So we have decided to fight for our rights and have stopped attending film shootings,” said TCTOLU president A Srinivas.

He added: “The lightmen are getting `800 for one call sheet from 7 am to 6 pm. If the production unit extends the shoot until 9 pm, they are paying us an extra amount of `400 for the second call sheet which is from 9 pm to 2 am. We want them to pay us for two full call sheets even if they require our services for only one or two additional hours. Regardless of when they wrap up the day’s work, it takes us at least two to three extra hours to pack and unload our equipment. As a result, we all reach our homes late in the night.” Srinivas adds, “They are willing to give us 52 per cent hike (`1,200) with a one-and-a-half-call sheet, but we want a 35 per cent hike with two full call sheets.” He also feels the chamber should employ locals rather than workers from Mumbai.

“We are a union of 1,330 people. Instead of employing five or six workers from Mumbai who charge  2,500-3,000 per head, why don’t they hire our people, who come at `800?” he asked.Producer KL Damodar Prasad, Honorary Secretary of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce, calls the protest ‘illegal’. “The Telugu Film Industry Employees Federation (TFIEF) is with us in this. Among all the film departments, TCTOLU is the only union that is following neither the chamber’s instructions nor TFIEF’s instructions. They are launching this strike on their own and it’s just wrong,” he said.

“It’s being driven by a few people and lots of people are suffering because of this. As we’ve always thought of them as family, we have initiated talks. We urge them to stop this mistake and get back to work. If they won’t relent, they’ll realise that we aren’t the people to entertain such protests.” Interestingly, the shooting of some films continue unaffected. “For the moment, we are weighing options. If they don’t end this strike soon, we will find ways to continue work on all the films,” warned Damodar Prasad.