CHENNAI: The film workers' union, FEFSI, has appealed to Tamil movie producers to reconsider their decision to halt all shooting and production activities from September 1, warning that the move would severely impact the livelihoods of thousands of daily-wage workers.
In a formal appeal addressed to the Tamil Nadu government and producers' associations on Monday, Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI) urged the state administration to intervene immediately and convene tripartite talks to reach an amicable resolution.
The development comes after the Tamil Film Producers Council and the Tamil Film Active Producers Association recently announced plans to halt all film-related work, including new releases, from September 1. The producers attributed disputes with theatre owners and prevailing financial strains to the decision.
While acknowledging the financial challenges and legitimate grievances faced by the producers, FEFSI stated that the abrupt decision to stop ongoing shoots came as a "major shock" to the workforce.
"A halt in film shootings directly affects not just producers, but thousands of daily-wage workers and their families who depend entirely on daily employment for their sustenance," the federation said in a statement.
It emphasised that the film industry relies on a vast network of workers across multiple departments, including assistant directors, cinematographers, technicians, lightmen, set workers, makeup artists, and transport personnel.
Recalling a 45-to-50-day industry strike in 2023, during which tripartite talks were held under government supervision, FEFSI noted with concern that several key resolutions agreed upon then remain unimplemented to date.
The federation cautioned that repeatedly halting shootings whenever disputes arise, without establishing a mechanism to execute agreed-upon decisions, causes recurring disruption across the entire film ecosystem.
Stating that strikes cannot serve as an immediate or viable solution to structural problems, FEFSI requested Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to step in and facilitate a tripartite meeting involving producers, theatre owners, and workers' unions. It also sought a time-bound action plan to implement long-term solutions while safeguarding the workers' livelihoods.