Happy Ending To Tamil Film Industry Strike

The curtain finally came down yesterday on the Tamil Nadu film industry strike. In true potboiler style, the crisis had a happy ending, with the feuding factions agreeing to settle their differences following the intervention of a respected family elder; in this case, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.

The Chief Ministers intervention defused a potentially explosive situation. The strike by film employees, which had brought the entire industry to a grinding halt since May 31, had threatened to take an ugly turn after some producers, directors and workers abruptly quit the Film Employees Federation of South India (Fefsi), which spearheaded the strike. The break-away faction proceeded to set up two rival bodies, named the Tamil Nadu Film Creators Federation and the Tamil Film Employees Federation.

 

Yesterdays agreement between the representatives of producers, actors and film workers paved the way for an immediate resumption of film shooting. Fefsi agreed to the formation of the Tamil Nadu Film Creators Federation and the Tamil Film Employees Federation. It was also agreed that workers who wish to join the new organisation on their own should be admitted and there should not be any compulsion.

The shrewd Karunanidhi wasted no time in claiming his share of the credit for the peaceful resolution.

He assured newsmen that he had held discussions with all the representatives separately and his decision had been accepted by all the organisations, including Fefsi.

However, it wasnt bonhomie all the way. Fefsi members agreed not to create a law and order problem by disrupting films produced by the members of the Film Creators Federation, but said they would not participate in such films in any way.

Megastars Rajnikant and Kamal Hassan, directors K Balachander and Bharati Raja, Fefsi president S Vijayan and South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce president M Balasubramanian were among those who participated in the discussions.

Fefsi, an umbrella organisation of 29 unions in the film industry, had originally protested against a move by Tamil film producers to drastically slash production costs and wages. Subsequently, Fefsi members took umbrage to the formation of two new organisations and even attempted to attack Balachander and Bharati Raja last Friday when the duo were discussing the formation of a new organisation with some supporters.