IFTPC-FWICE-Maharashtra government to form committee to resolve TV production issues

It all started with the indefinite strike call by the apex body of all trade and craft associations Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees (FWICE) headed by BN Tiwari. The union called the strike protesting what it called as low wages and erratic schedules that its member workers were encountering when they are hired by TV and film producers who are part of the Indian Film & Television Producers Council (IFTPC). However, as it turned out, the FWICE was left standing alone and fighting its own battles internally, as one by one its affiliates denied that they were supporting its initiative. The IFTPC members called for a press conference which cleared the air on a lot of fronts. The IFTPC alleged that the FWICE secretariat hired goons to disrupt the TV shoots that were happening peacefully in Mumbai's Film City and other parts of the metro. It was also brought to notice that the workers indeed were with the producers and most of them were not supporting the strike. The FWICE's yo-yoing continued until recently, when the IFTPC members along with the TV wing chairman JD Majethia met Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to discuss their predicament and the latter had assured them all the help to ensure that things would get better. It was not much later that the labour minister of Maharashtra Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar intervened and requested the FWICE office bearers to call off the strike which had been going on for more than a fortnight. The apex union complied on 30 August. Nilangekar also summoned the two bodies to his Mantralaya office for a meeting over which he would preside The two associations' leaders trooped over to south Mumbai earlier today where the minister heard both sides of the story, according to IFTPC core group member Shaymashish Bhattacharya who helms Shakuntalam Telefilms And at the end of the meeting, Nilangekar directed that a representative committee be formed to look into workers' demands and issues of the producers. Majethia told TellyChakkar.com that "the IFTPC and FWICE had their own grievances. However, the government failed to understand why the strike took place in the first place." He continued: "Mumbai is 'MayaNagri.' It is known for its film industry and the government felt threatened that the industry might go some place else if such things carry on." The representative committee, which will consist of one representative from the FWICE and IFTPC respectively and four government officials, will frame guidelines "which would ensure that neither the workers nor the producers are exploited in anyway," revealed Majethia to TellyChakkar.com "The committee members will be responsible for framing these norms keeping the law in mind." Hopefully, this initiative will end up bringing harmony to the TV business which has seen several conflicts between the workers' unions and TV producers over the past few years. We at TellyChakkar.com are keeping our fingers crossed!