Sunday Rest for TV Industry

The television industry is known for toiling relentlessly to give us our daily dose of entertainment. Due to the frenetic pace, actors and technicians are hardly left with any time to unwind. However, there is some respite in sight for them as the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has decided to make every second Sunday a mandatory holiday for the TV industry from April 1. While artistes have welcomed the move, producers are worried about its adverse effects on the telecast of their shows.

Dilip Pithva, Honorary General Secretary, FWICE, reasons, "We have decided to take a holiday on every second Sunday. The producers aren't supportive as they don't want to shell out extra money for a holiday that will be considered paid leave.

Do they realize the rising frustration levels of the workers working in the same environment day-in and day-out? What they don't know is that the worker pays another member to fill in for him on a particular day from his own pocket. They may be hired on the basis of salary, but they are actually paid for the number of days they shoot; they don't even get overtime."

He adds this issue can be addressed if enough planning is done in advance and explains, "If a producer can holiday abroad without worrying about the telecast of their shows, why can't they manage it by making second Sunday a mandatory off? They can work towards getting scripts in advance, so that they can keep a bank of episodes ready."

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