18-day strike ends, Tollywood back to work from today

Hyderabad: The Telugu film industry strike, which began on August 4, has finally come to an end after 18 days. The strike started when the Film Industry Employees’ Federation demanded a 30 percent wage hike, which producers strongly opposed. With no agreement in sight, shootings across Tollywood were brought to a halt, affecting many ongoing projects.

Breakthrough in Talks

The problem was solved after a long meeting at the Labour Commissioner’s office. The talks went on for more than eight hours with producers, union leaders, and officials. Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy stepped in and helped both sides reach an agreement.

Wage Hike Settlement

Both sides agreed on a 22.5 percent salary increase, to be given in three years. Workers earning below Rs. 20,000 will get a 15 percent raise in the first year, 2.5 percent in the second year, and 5 percent in the third year. Workers earning above Rs. 20,000 will get a 7.5 percent increase first, then 5 percent in the second and third years.