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At the ARTEE convention in Kerala, Indian television and radio workers presented a united front as they made their demands to management.



ARTEE, UNI Global Union's affiliate representing television and radio workers in India, said it will not allow its members to work in unsafe or insecure places. Recently members have been kidnapped and ransoms demanded in dangerous areas; in some remote areas ill equipped members have had to work in temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees; staff shortages have meant some members working up to 22 consecutive shifts.



ARTEE is calling on management to recruit more employees and said it will not accept jobs being contracted out.



And ARTEE wants pay justice. It demands television and radio workers get the same pay and conditions as other government employees.



These demands were laid out clearly at the closing session of the union convention, Trivandrum, 2-4 August, 2009.



The session was opened by the Kerala Chief Minister and the Director General of All India Radio, Ms. Noorin Naqui, was among the special guests.



She took the podium to assure delegates she had noted the demands and would work with ARTEE to find solutions.



The closing session lived up to its slogan “A Festival of Unity.”



Unity not only in ARTEE: the union decided to become members of the government employees’ federation. The links with UNI Global Union were stressed.



The closing was addressed by Thomas John, Secretary of the UNI India Liaison Council, and Philip Bowyer, UNI DGS. All delegates wore UNI t-shirts.







Philip Bowyer, UNI's Deputy General Secretary, was at the ARTEE Convention in Kerala, India, from 2-4 August.