Telugu Film Producers Set Four Conditions For Wage Hike
Two proposals accepted as talks continue; Chiranjeevi and Balakrishna back fair resolution
Hyderabad: After three days of a tense standoff, Telugu film producers have set four conditions for accepting a 30 per cent wage hike for film workers.
During their first meeting with the representatives from the Telugu Film Employees Federation (TFEF) at the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce, the film producers proposed four conditions — fixed full-day 12-hour call sheets, permission to hire non-union members if qualified union members are unavailable at the time of shooting, no objections under the ‘ratio’ system, and double wages will be paid only on government-declared holidays and second Sundays, while regular Sundays would attract standard wages.
“A meeting between producers and federation members did take place today, but I had personal work, so I couldn’t attend,” said producer Mohan Vadlapatla, joint secretary of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce.
In his letter to the union members, TFEF president Anil Vallabhaneni said, “We have agreed to two of the conditions and will consult with the members before deciding on the remaining two.” He said the matter would be resolved within the Film Chamber’s Producers’ Council and another meeting would be held on Saturday, as Friday is a public holiday.
He expressed hope that senior actors Chiranjeevi and Balakrishna would help the industry fraternity to come up with a fair resolution.
He said the union has allowed members to work for the producers who have agreed to hike wages. “The final decision on small producers’ proposals will rest with the Producers’ Council. We will continue to support independent filmmakers,” he explained.
Earlier, members of the Producers’ Guild met with veteran actor Nandamuri Balakrishna at his residence on Thursday, following their meeting with veteran actor Chiranjeevi on August 5.
Telugu Film Producers Council member T. Prasanna Kumar said Balakrishna advised them to reduce the number of shooting days to curb production costs. “He stressed that producers are the true paymasters and their well-being is vital to the survival of the industry,” Prasanna Kumar said.
He also recommended reducing crew size on film sets to promote efficiency and cost-effectiveness. “He assured us that he is committed to doing four films a year to support producers and keep the industry thriving,” Kumar added.
Commenting on their earlier meeting with Chiranjeevi, Kumar said, “All top stars are eager to see this crisis resolved quickly. Protecting everyone’s interests is key to ensuring a healthy and sustainable industry.”