Hyderabad: The Telugu film industry, known as Tollywood, has stopped all work from August 4. This happened after the Telugu Film Employees Federation started a strike that has no end date. The strike began because talks with the Telugu Film Producers Council (TFPC) and the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) about increasing wages did not work out.
Why Are Workers on Strike?
The main reason for the strike is the Federation’s demand to increase daily wages by 30 percent. Right now, most workers earn about Rs. 1,400 per day. These workers belong to 24 different departments and help in making movies. Even after many meetings, producers only offered a 5 percent raise, which the Federation refused. They said it’s not enough due to the high cost of living.
What the Federation Wants
Rajeswar Reddy, the former General Secretary, said that workers won’t come to work until their demands are accepted. The Federation wants producers to give a written promise for the new wages. They also want daily payments instead of making workers wait.
Big films and web series have stopped shooting. Producers are under pressure because of lower earnings, strict budgets, and rising misuse of funds on sets. Many of them are handling too many films at once without trusted teams, leading to poor management and money loss.
Chamber’s Reaction
The Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce has disagreed with the strike. They said producers already pay more than the basic wage. They also asked producers not to make separate deals with workers and to wait for a common solution.
