The producers council slammed the Fefsi members for stopping the shooting of 16 films on Tuesday over the wage dispute despite assuring earlier that they would cooperate.
An official statement of the council said, “At a time when we are ready for a dialogue to revise the wages of federation members, obstructing the shooting of 16 films despite promising that they would not boycott any shooting, is condemnable.”
“Fefsi has neither a president nor a system at this moment. In a bid to achieve power, a few men with vested interests have been cheating and misguiding the members on the pretext of doing good to them and getting them a huge wage hike.
Truth will come out one day,” said the release. TFPC had resolved to pay a hike of `100 to all employees belonging to various crafts of Fefsi and was ready to sign an agreement immediately. The Tamil industry is going through a rough patch now.
Of the 150 films releasing every year, only 15-odd movies make profit. Despite our loss, we producers still pay judicious salary to the workers besides providing good food, stay and transportation, added the statement.
Actor/director Cheran’s film Moondru Per Moondru Kaadhal was one of the films hit by the wage issue. He said, “We did not have problems during the first few days of shooting.
After that, the workers started pestering for a wage hike failing which they threatened to stop working. The producer had no choice but to cough up the payment.”
When the council felt that Ameer went overboard at the Fefsi meeting, Cheran promised that a proper inquiry will be made into the issue.
S.A. Chandrashekar requested Tamil Nadu chief minster J. Jayalalithaa to intervene immediately and sort out the issue.
