Western India Cine Employees Federation urges Maharashtra CM not to impose lockdown

Mumbai, April 03: After Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray warned about the lockdown, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has penned down the letter to the CM and urged him to not impose any mote lockdown. The Federation Chief Advisor Ashoke Pandit has also asked CM to save the industry, “which is already in shambles”.

They stated that the lockdown had 'harmed' the actors, workers, and technicians and that they were still grappling to recover their losses from last year.

 

 

The federation further added a lot of daily wage worker’s families are dependent and the last year has been tough for each one. “ One whole year had passed with no work and no income, distressed lives and no food, hunger-stricken families and deprived children. It was a very dreadful and sorry state of people who were left alone to fight their own battles of hunger and poverty with absolutely no aid from any Government body (Neither State nor Central)." They shared that it was the other members of the film industry who had come together and helped out the daily wage earners, many of whom were 'sole earners of families.' The body stated that now the 'covid heroes' too were not in a position to help out and that many were still unemployed.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, it warned that if lockdown imposes in Mumbai, the situation may even go worse as these communities of producers, actors, and actresses who helped our brethren are themselves not in a position to provide any further aid to these daily wage workers and technicians

 

It also added that lockdown could lead to huge losses, financially, the letter further states, “ The financial losses caused by the previous layoffs have not yet been recovered. Many people are still unemployed today.

Unemployment would rise again if the government imposes the lockdown again." It also urged the government not to impose lockdown in the state as it will disturb the economy of this largest revenue-generating industry. The federation assured the CM of Maharashtra that they will increase the medical facilities on the set and will follow all the precautions and guidelines.

 

Apart from the FWICE, the Multiplex Association of India (MAI) has also written to CM Thackeray, saying that a second lockdown, if implemented in view of rising covid-19 cases, would hit cinemas, retail, and shopping industries.

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