Bollywood : priority for better health and safety on the sets
Film workers unions and the global federations, the International Federation of Actors (FIA), the International Federation of Musicians (FIM) and the UNI Global Union – Media, Entertainment & Arts (UNI MEI) met in Mumbai to address health and safety in Bollywood.
Actors, musicians, directors, writers as well as technicians organised in unions discussed how to improve the conditions of film workers at the work place. The IAEA White Paper on Health and Safety in Bollywood of November confirmed that the situation is very dramatic and alarming No change is not an option if serious accidents are to be avoided in the future.
As a first step, the Mumbai unions and their Federation, FWICE have introduced health & safety in the ongoing negotiations with employers over the minimum basic agreement during this summer. The workshop assessed the progress made in the negotiations and further elements were elaborated to strengthen the cooperation among employers and unions within the industrial framework of the basic agreement.
The negotiations have proven difficult with TV producers, including productions carried out for major multinationals such as Star, Viacom and Sony, putting pressure on minimum wages. FIA, FIM and UNI MEI support the Mumbai unions and their federation in this difficult situation and call on the broadcasters and the TV producers to return to constructive approach respecting the minimum wage system and seek improvements to the conditions of workers in order to ensure sustainability and quality of productions.
The participating unions and the Federation adopted an action plan with concrete measures and awareness raising campaign among employers, union members and workers to grow a health & safety culture in film and TV production.
The unions and the federations call on the employers to work elaborate a safety code similar to existing codes in other major production centres around the world while focussing on the immediate concerns including fire and electrical safety, working hours and fatigue as well as hygiene.
Over 40 representatives from the Mumbai film unions and federations attended the workshop, which is part of a three year project co-sponsored by Union to Union, Sweden and the International Arts and Entertainment Alliance (IAEA) formed by FIA, FIM & UNI MEI took place in Mumbai from 7-9 October 2015.