Par panel for bringing TV, digital entertainment industry workers under cine workers law

A Parliamentary panel has made a case for bringing workers in TV, broadcasting, digital entertainment, advertisement sectors under the Cine Workers and Cinema Theatre Workers (Regulation & Employment) Act, 1981, and double the pay for all workmen under the law.

The panel suggested to double the pay Rs 16,000 per month or Rs 2 lakh if paid in lump sum under the law.

"The Cinema Theatre Workers (Regulation & Employment) Act 1981 did not include television, broadcasting, digital entertainment, advertisement industry workers under it ambit....recommend that clause 2(c) of the said Act be amended to include television, broadcasting, digital entertainment, advertisement industry workers at the earliest," the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour said in its report on 'Safety, Security and Welfare of television, broadcasting, digital entertainment, advertisement industry workers' tabled in Parliament today.

Noting that the remuneration of cine workers was increased to Rs 8,000 per month or Rs 1 lakh if paid in lump sum in May 2002, the panel recommended that the remuneration of a cine worker be upwardly revised to an amount not exceeding Rs 16,000 per month or Rs 2 lakh if paid in lump sum or in installments.

The committee also recommended to the labour ministry to put in place a fool proof regulatory mechanism in conjunction with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

On issue difficulties in identifying workers in television or broadcasting or digital industry as they work on piece rate basis, the panel recommended that the two ministries should carry out a nationwide survey of these workers at the earliest under the Act.

The panel also asked the two ministries to work in tandem with all concerned agencies who accord statutory clearance to studios, to ensure that infrastructure of all studios is up to the mark, so that the safety and welfare concerns of all people involved in television, broadcasting, digital entertainment industry is adequately taken care of.

The panel also recommended to put in place specific safeguards catering to the safety and security of female workers in good time and come up with stringent penal provisions that would act as a deterrent.