Members of AMMA mooted trade union for actors, confirms FEFKA

File picture of actor Mohanlal and filmmaker B. Unnikrishnan, who is the general-secretary of during The Film Employees Federation of Kerala’s (FEFKA)
| Photo Credit: Thulasi Kakkat

The Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) faces a new challenge as it has emerged that some of its members approached the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) to explore forming an actors’ trade union.

AMMA is currently without elected office bearers after the 17-member executive committee led by actor Mohanlal resigned in the wake of sexual harassment allegations in the industry from the Hema Committee report.

B. Unnikrishnan, the general-secretary of the confederation of 21 trade unions in the film industry, confirmed that 15 to 20 members of AMMA had approached him with the proposals at different periods but declined to reveal their names on the grounds of propriety. He, however, insisted that it cannot be interpreted as leading to a potential division in AMMA as the idea of forming a trade union of actors was mooted while retaining AMMA in its present form.

Actors Jayan Cherthala and Jagadeesh, who were vice-presidents in the AMMA executive committee that resigned, said that they were unaware of any such move by members of AMMA. “I have nothing to respond at this moment. I will react when I come to know something,” said Mr. Jagadeesh.

Mr. Cherthala said that he came to know of the reported move only through the media. Later, while responding to a section of the media, actor Joy Mathew, another former executive committee member, claimed that no member of the committee was involved in it. He further added that a trade union for actors was unlikely, considering the wage disparity among them.

Mr. Unnikrishnan said that those who had approached him had probed the possibility of such an actors’ trade union getting affiliated as a member organisation of FEFKA. They were categorically told that such an affiliation would not be possible without the approval of the general council of FEFKA. For a union to be accorded approval as an affiliated organisation, the general council should be convinced about its by-law and purpose.

Mr. Unnikrishnan said that it was possible for actors to be members of a trade union and any number of cultural or charity organisations, but not of two trade unions at the same time. He gave the example of him being a member of the Malayalam Cine Technicians Association, which is not a trade union, and FEFKA, which is a trade union.

He added that forming and maintaining a trade union required a level of commitment which, given the nature of actors’ work, he questioned whether they could sustain.

Mr. Unnikrishnan, however, felt that the wage disparity was not a possible deterrent to the formation of a trade union for actors, citing how such a union, the biggest in the Indian film industry, exists in Bollywood.