Nearly 5,000 workers of different trades, affiliated to the Film Employees’ Federation of South India (FEFSI), went on a dawn to dusk hunger strike at Vadapalani in Chennai on Sunday, demanding that the Tamil Film Producers’ Council implement the revised wages.

Popular directors Ameer, Lenin and Stanley also took part in the fast protest. Film shootings had been crippled for the last 15 days after a new wage proposal mooted by the FEFSI was turned down by the Producers Council, leading to the stand off.

An office bearer of the FEFSI said, "Workers get Rs 250 a day which is not sufficient to run a family. Recently, the wages were revised in consultation with the Producers Council. But producers still want us to stick to the old pay scale."

It is to be noted that the TFPC recently announced severing of its ties with FEFSI, alleging that the federation had unilaterally announced a wage revision. It said a committee would be formed to decide on wages to workers.

Directors' Union Press Meet