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The Telugu Film Employees Federation announced an indefinite strike from Monday, demanding a 30% wage hike, affecting over 10,000 workers and risking big-budget film production.
he Telugu Film Employees Federation has called for an indefinite strike demanding a 30% hike in daily wages.
The Telugu film industry is bracing for a major halt in production activities as the Telugu Film Employees Federation announced an indefinite strike starting Monday. The move comes after prolonged negotiations with producers failed to yield an agreement on wage revisions, placing big-budget films and web series currently in production at risk of a complete standstill.
At the heart of the standoff is the federation’s demand for a 30 per cent hike in daily wages. Representing 24 categories of film workers, the federation has pointed to stagnant pay scales over the past three years as a major concern, stating it has severely impacted the livelihoods of more than 10,000 daily wage workers.
A former general secretary of the federation noted that daily wages have remained unchanged despite the rising cost of living in Hyderabad. Additionally, workers have demanded more timely disbursal of wages, calling for a shift from delayed payments to daily settlements.
“Our workers will not report to duty from tomorrow,” a federation representative confirmed, asserting that the decision followed exhaustive efforts to resolve the issue through dialogue. The strike decision was formalised during a meeting of the federation’s executive committee held on Sunday.
The federation has taken a firm stance, announcing that film shoots will only resume if producers provide written assurances agreeing to the revised pay structure.
Talks between the Telugu Film Producers Council, the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce, and the federation have reportedly been ongoing for several months. Producers had earlier proposed a 5 per cent wage increase, which the federation rejected as inadequate.
Producer C Kalyan, while opposing the strike, acknowledged its potential impact. He described the strike as a “pressure tactic” but added, “A month-long production halt could hurt the very daily wage workers they’re trying to support.” He urged both sides to return to negotiations and find a middle ground.
The outcome of the strike remains uncertain. That being said, the Telugu film industry could be heading into a period of prolonged disruption unless a resolution is reached soon.
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