New Delhi: Information and Broadcasting (I&B) minister Prakash Javadekar has sought Union Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar’s intervention to bring artists and technicians engaged in television and OTT (over-the-top) platforms under the Code on Social Security, 2019.
Javadekar’s letter to Gangwar, which was written last month, was sent after the I&B ministry’s recommendation on the same was not included in the draft Bill.
The Social Security Code Bill, 2019 introduced by Gangwar in the Lok Sabha last month, proposes universalisation of social security benefits to around 50 crore workers. It is also expected to reduce employees’ provident fund (EPF) as well as monthly contribution by workers in select sectors.
The labour ministry had, in November last year, written to several ministries seeking their comments on the Bill’s final draft.
Even then the I&B ministry had proposed changing the definition of cine workers in the existing Cine-workers and Cinema Theatre Workers (Regulation of Employment) Act, 1981, as well as in the Labour Code on Social Security and Welfare Bill, 2018, to include artists and technicians working in television and OTT platforms.
As of now, only film industry workers come under a 1991 legislation, provided they have work experience of at least five feature films with a fixed pay slab of Rs 1,600 per month.
The I&B ministry had also proposed renaming the Cine-workers and Cinema Theatre Workers (Regulation of Employment) Act as The Entertainment Artists (Regulation of Employment Act), 2019.
“Javadekar has written to Gangwar seeking his intervention in modifying the definition of cine workers under para XXI under second schedule under Section 2 (24) of the Bill,” said a government source on condition of anonymity.
If Javadekar’s suggestions are included and approved, thousands of workers engaged in the entertainment industry will get social security benefits in a phased manner, including health, old-age, retirement and maternity benefits.
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‘No health, financial security cover’
Another senior government official, who did not wish to be named, said the need to include workers associated with the TV industry and digital platforms came after a team of MPs and officials visited various studios across the country.
They came face-to face with the “pitiable conditions” under which these artists and technicians work, added the official.
“Many of the studios have not even put in place adequate safety norms. A classic example of this is the fire accident which took place at the Premier Studios in Mysore in which actor Sanjay Khan who was shooting for a tele-serial on Tipu Sultan suffered a near-fatal accident,” he added.
He further said, “The workers in these platforms work for long hours and under inhuman conditions, with no health cover or financial security. The move to include them under a social security cover was prompted after such observations.”
The I&M ministry’s recommendation for a modified definition of cine workers reads: “Who has been from cinema, theatre, digital entertainment and advertisement industry workers employed directly or through any contractor or in any other manner, in or in connection with pre-production production, post production and exhibition of feature films, TV series, or web series or content to be displayed on any OTT platform to work as an artist which include actor, actress, musician, cinematographer, or any related work for pre-production, production or postproduction work, skilled or unskilled, manual, supervisory, technical, artistic, content development, script writer or otherwise.”
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